Frequent industrial accidents in the Port City Visakhapatnam have been raising serious concerns about workplace safety, and politicians have been suggesting mandatory safety audits of all industries.
However, former IAS Officer and civil society activist EAS Sharma in an open letter to AP Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu questioned why the owners who are causing accidents in the industry are not sent to jail.
He alleged that no government is taking action because of its good relations with the industrialists. In the letter, he suggested that steps should be taken to prevent a repeat of the recent incidents in Achutapuram.
Sharma reminded that there were accidents in industries during the earlier TDP regime from 2014-19 also. According to him, 24 accidents occurred in Parawada Pharma SEZ and 21 people lost their lives. He questioned that the owners of the industries are not going to jail for a single day due to the mishaps happening in the industries.
He appreciated that families of those who died in the Essainsia incident will receive Rs.1 Crore, compensation of Rs.50 lakhs for injured workers and Rs.25 lakhs for those with minor injuries. In order to prevent accidents and pollution in industries, hesuggested that there should be a change in the policies and attitude of the government and strict regulations should be brought. Sharma asked the government not to forgive the management of Essentia.
Meanwhile, days after deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan stressed the need for mandatory audit, BJP MP and state president D Purandeswari also joined him. In response to these frequent incidents, Purandeswari has pushed for the urgent need for mandatory safety audits across all industries in Andhra Pradesh.
She spoke about the increasing frequency of accidents in Visakhapatnam, noting that these incidents are a cause for alarm. “The safety of workers should be a top priority. Given the alarming rate of accidents in Visakhapatnam, it is imperative that the government implements mandatory safety audits for all industries across the state,” she added.
Purandeswari pointed out that the frequent accidents in Visakhapatnam are worrying. She stressed that worker safety needs to be a top priority. “Given the rise in accidents, it is crucial that the government enforces regular safety audits for all industries,” she said.
She called for action following a number of serious accidents in the region, which have sparked concerns about whether current safety measures are enough. By pushing for these audits, Purandeswari hopes to improve safety standards and prevent future accidents. The Andhra Pradesh government now faces pressure to address these issues and consider making safety audits a requirement for all industries.
