HYDERABAD: Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Wednesday instructed the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) authorities to explore the possibility of extracting critical and strategic minerals alongside coal mining. He also directed them to participate in all national and international auction processes related to critical minerals and coal mines.
Vikramarka, who also holds the energy portfolio, held a review meeting with the Singareni officials at Praja Bhavan.
As mineral blocks such as vanadium and titanium are expected to be put up for auction in the coming days, he instructed the officials to move forward with a comprehensive action plan to secure these blocks.
The deputy chief minister said that keeping pace with global changes, the government is encouraging Singareni to explore mining opportunities involving critical minerals such as copper, graphite, lithium and cobalt. He further said that international consultants have been appointed to study mining and investment opportunities in countries such as South Africa, Brazil, Australia and Chile.
In the wake of rising power demand due to the El Nino effect, he directed the officials to increase coal production in line with the demand for Singareni coal.
He said Singareni should expand beyond coal mining and enter all areas of mining, assuring the officials that the state government would extend all necessary support in this endeavour.
He made it clear that the government’s objective is to make Singareni a profitable organisation and hand it over as a strong institution to future generations.