Centre asks Andhra Pradesh to provide unpaid security at steel plant

The Centre has asked Andhra Pradesh to provide security at Visakhapatnam Steel Plant before the Central Industrial Security Force leaves the facility on November 17, The Hindu reported. Steel Secretary Sandeep Poundrik wrote to Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary G. Sai Prasad requesting personnel from the Andhra Pradesh Special Protection Force to guard the plant without charge.

The request concerns the period following the planned CISF exit. According to the report, the steel plant has been paying between ₹150 crore and ₹200 crore a year for a CISF deployment. The Centre is withdrawing the force because of unpaid dues, although the available material does not state the amount outstanding or how long the payments have been overdue.

The request would transfer responsibility for guarding the facility to APSPF personnel, at least after the CISF withdrawal. The report does not say whether Andhra Pradesh has accepted the request, how many personnel would be deployed or what security arrangements are currently in place. It also does not provide details about the plant’s operations, the reason for the unpaid dues or any negotiations between the Centre, the State government and the facility over the security bill.

The immediate issue reported by The Hindu is continuity of protection at Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. The Centre is seeking state personnel to secure the site before the scheduled CISF withdrawal on November 17.