Centre asks Andhra Pradesh to guard Visakhapatnam Steel Plant free of cost before CISF exit on November 17

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Union Steel Secretary Sandeep Poundrik. File | Photo Credit: FRANCIS MASCARENHAS

The Union Ministry of Steel has urged the Andhra Pradesh government to deploy personnel of the Andhra Pradesh Special Protection Force (APSPF) free of cost at Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), the corporate entity of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), to ensure a smooth security transition when the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) leaves.

In a letter to Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary G. Sai Prasad, Union Steel Secretary Sandeep Poundrik said the complete withdrawal of the CISF from the plant was scheduled to take effect on November 17, 2026.

The Ministry of Home Affairs cleared the withdrawal on August 18 under Section 14(2) of the CISF Act, on a proposal from RINL, and set a three-month notice period. The order covers the force’s 1,329 sanctioned posts at the plant, 1,033 in the security wing and 298 in the fire wing, and directs the CISF to recover all pending dues from RINL before it leaves. Under the Act, the CISF is deployed on full cost recovery, and RINL’s annual outlay on the force has been between ₹150 crore and ₹200 crore, which is what the request to the State for personnel free of cost is meant to save.

The Ministry said the size of the Visakhapatnam plant and the need to safeguard its vital installations meant that alternative security arrangements must be in place well in advance.

The Ministry has requested the State government to arrange the early, free-of-cost deployment of adequate APSPF personnel. The letter says timely placement of the State force is essential to maintain operational continuity and allow an orderly handover before the CISF’s departure. The Centre has sought the personal attention of the State’s top administration to expedite the transition, according to a copy of the letter made available to The Hindu by a source.

RINL has already posted Andhra Pradesh Special Police personnel at select key locations as a stopgap. Plant employees and trade unions have said the CISF is being withdrawn because of RINL’s financial distress rather than any reduced need for security, and that private security agencies, unlike the CISF, have no statutory power to arrest without a warrant, detain suspects or conduct searches.

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