Trade union leaders raise slogans during Lokesh’s visit to KGH

Visakhapatnam: IT and HRD minister Nara Lokesh on Tuesday got into intense arguments with trade union leaders when he arrived to meet the family members of those who died in the VSP accident on Monday evening. The interaction took place near the mortuary of King George Hospital in Vizag city.Lokesh was talking to a family member of one of the victims when trade union leaders raised slogans demanding compensation of Rs 1 crore to each of the victims’ families. They also demanded assured employment, not on a contract basis, for the victims’ kin. Lokesh told them that the Union govt has already declared ex gratia of Rs 25 lakh each to the families of the victims besides jobs for the kin, and that the AP govt, on its part, would continue to provide long-standing assistance to the families.However, when the trade union members and leaders of Left parties continued to raise slogans, Lokesh asked them not to raise their voice, adding that the NDA govt is discussing the incident and will ensure that the victims’ families are suitably compensated. When the trade union leaders accused the govt of not focusing on the steel plant’s safety because it was planning to privatise it, Lokesh again raised his voice and told them that the NDA govt saved the steel plant from privatisation by securing a large package from the Centre. Asking them not to play politics during such a tragic hour, Lokesh said he had come to the mortuary to console the family members of the deceased employees, and requested them to respect the occasion.