KHAMMAM: Union Minister for Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy on Sunday dismissed reports that the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) would be privatised, calling them “false propaganda”.
He asserted that Singareni is a workers’ institution and reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s belief that workers should be the first stakeholders in the profits. He was on a two-day visit to the Singareni coal belt and visited the PVK-5 underground mine in Kothagudem. He later interacted with workers and trade union representatives at the company guest house.
Expressing appreciation for women workers, Kishan Reddy said it was a matter of pride that Telangana women were working in underground mines. “I congratulate each one of them,” he said.
Describing Singareni as a unique institution with a 136-year history, he said it was an asset not only to Telangana but to the entire nation. “Singareni provides livelihood to lakhs of families,” he noted.
Recalling his association with the coal belt, Kishan Reddy said he had visited the same mine earlier when he was an MLA. “I never imagined that one day I would return here as the Union minister in charge of this department. It is a matter of great pride for me,” he said.
He also recalled the strong support he received from the Singareni region during his Telangana Poru Yatra and urged workers to continue working with dedication to take the institution forward. It has been one-and-a-half years since he assumed charge as the Union Minister for Coal and Mines, Kishan Reddy said, adding that he had conducted review meetings at the Singareni headquarters in Hyderabad and had been continuously familiarising himself with the functioning of the organisation.
Stressing the larger role played by coal workers, he said employment at Singareni should not be viewed merely as a livelihood for individual families but as a service to the nation. “Because of your hard work, homes in the remotest corners of the country are lit up. Nearly 74 per cent of India’s electricity is generated from coal. Your efforts support employment for crores of people across sectors,” he said.
Later in the day, the minister went into the PVK-5 underground mine and interacted with workers, enquiring about their welfare and understanding their concerns. After emerging from the mine, he had breakfast with the workers.