PEDDAPALLI/NIZAMABAD: Accusing both the BRS and Congress of undermining the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), Union Coal & Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy on Monday said that supporting the BJP is vital to ensure development of Telangana.
Addressing the media in Godavarikhani after participating in the municipal corporation election campaign, he said that Singareni was burdened with dues of nearly `51,000 crore and wondered when the amount would be repaid.
Coal mined through the hard work of Singareni workers was no longer benefiting them, he said, adding that the company was struggling even to pay salaries. “The BRS and Congress are responsible for pushing Singareni into this crisis,” he alleged.
Kishan Reddy said that he had been touring the Singareni belt over the past few days, where livelihoods in nearly eight to nine districts depend on the coal major. Describing Singareni as the “golden goose of south India”, he said it had been systematically damaged and needed urgent protection and revival.
Though the Centre holds a 49 per cent stake in the company, the Telangana government had acted unilaterally without following the spirit of partnership and pushed the company into distress, he alleged. He said he would bring the issue to the notice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and added that discussions with workers’ unions had revealed serious irregularities.
‘Contracts awarded to favourites’
The Union minister further alleged that the Congress government attempted to award contracts to its “favourites” by bypassing mandatory procedures. “Across the country, no contract in Singareni is awarded without a site visit. Normally, both a site visit and a self-declaration are required. But in Telangana, the SSCL is forcing the bidders to take certificate from it,” he said.
Even after the Centre convened a special meeting, tenders were finalised, for which the state government and Singareni management are responsible, he alleged. Participation in a transparent tender process would have benefited the state government itself, he claimed.
Kishan Reddy said he had personally spoken to the Odisha government and secured the 670-hectare Naini coal blocks, but claimed those in the Congress government were now fighting over them.
The Union minister stressed that Singareni must actively participate in coal block auctions conducted under the Centre’s supervision to secure more allocations. “We will try to remove obstacles and reduce unfair competition,” he assured.
Later speaking at Mancherial, Kishan Reddy accused both BRS and Congress leaders of encroaching quarters allotted for SCCL workers and the land belonging to the company. BRS and Congress governments neither built new quarters for Singareni workers nor repaired them, he alleged.
Meanwhile, addressing a public meeting in Nizamabad, BJP state president N Ramchander Rao alleged that the Congress depended on religion to secure votes and accused its leaders of indulging in corruption and promoting divisive forces. He claimed that Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) across the state lacked basic amenities such as roads and drainage due to misgovernance.
Ramchander Rao alleged that both the Congress and BRS relied on the AIMIM to curb the BJP’s growth. He accused the AIMIM of acting as a broker between the two parties. He warned voters to remain vigilant about what he described as an unholy alliance. The BJP leader said the Congress had failed to honour its commitments to minority and backward communities, pointing to unfulfilled promises on allocation of chairman posts and ministerial representation.