HYDERABAD: The sword of privatisation is dangling over public sector undertaking Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) after Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s disclosure that many PSUs would be privatised including coal blocks. Though Union Minister of Coal Prahlad Joshi clarified earlier that the government is not interested in privatising the State-owned Coal India, workers of SCCL are worried that the company is being offered to private players.
RSS-affiliate Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) is getting ready to organise a three-day protest programme against the privatisation of SCCL. Singareni Coal Mines Karmika Sangh (SCMKS-BMS) president Kengarla Mallaiah said that BMS activists are protesting to stop in its tracks any move by the Central government to privatise the SCCL.
“Though Union Coal Minister Prahlad Joshi and Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy issued a categorical statement that the coal sector will not be touched, the SCCL workers have their own apprehensions,” Mallaiah said. The SCMKS-BMS activists wore black badges on Tuesday at Medipalli open cast mine in Peddpalli district.
“While the nation is worried about Covid -19, the Union Finance Minister’s statement on privatising coal blocks has sent shock waves among coal miners. We condemn the FM’s statement,” Mallaiah said. The SCMKS-BMS activists will submit memoranda to SCCL area general mangers on Wednesday against privatisation. “We will continue the agitation in future too against any privatisation plan,” the workers said. The Coal Minister had earlier said that the Centre was trying to strengthen the coal sector. “The Central government announced an investment of `50,000 crore under Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan to develop infrastructure facilities for Coal India.
It will help Coal India achieve a target of one billion tonnes by 2023-24,” Joshi said. India imports roughly 150 million tonnes of coal from foreign countries. Hence, this might act as a deterrent against privatisation, say some employees. But some others point out that the private sector is already being allowed in coal bidding. For instance, the Tadicherla mine is now handled by private players. “Partial privatisation of SCCL started during PV Narasimha Rao’s term as PM,” one leader recalled. The same trend may continue in future too but SCCL may not be privatised completely, opined another leader.
Deeksha on May 22
Singareni Collieries Staff and Workers Union (INTUC) general secretary B Janak Prasad and deputy general secretary NSR Murthy said that they are organising a day-long deeksha and protests on May 22 in SCCL against the privatisation of coal sector.
“By privatising coal and power sectors, the Centre is turning the country into an MNC,” alleged Janak Prasad. Meanwhile, the Centre announced Rs 50,000 crore for infrastructure once it had decided to hand over 50 coal blocks to private parties. “With this, the coal sector will revert to pre-1947 conditions, where there were no labour laws and employment security,” he said.