BJP Hatao, Singareni Bachao, says Telangana Finance and Health Minister

The chief minister, on his part, has been initiating measures to strengthen the SCCL.
T Harish Rao
T Harish Rao

ADILABAD: Accusing the Central government of working against the interests of Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) employees, Finance and Health Minister T Harish Rao on Thursday raised a new slogan — ‘BJP Hatao, Singerani Bachao’.Harish Rao, along with other ministers S Niranjan Reddy and A Indrakaran Reddy visited Sirpur-Kagaznagar in Kumurambheem-Asifabad district and Bellampalli in Mancherial district to inaugurate the newly constructed hospitals.

Speaking on the occasion, he said: “When our MP raised the issue of Singareni privatisation and auction of coal blocks in Parliament, the Union minister said that no one is raising objections against the transparent system adopted by the Centre. The entire revenue through auctions is going to the State governments. The chief minister also wrote a letter to the Centre, asking it to stop the auction of Singerani blocks but there was no response.”

“The chief minister, on his part, has been initiating measures to strengthen the SCCL. He also announced 30 per cent share of profits will be given to the Singareni workers as a bonus,” he said.“On the other hand, the Central government’s decisions are leading to loss of jobs. It is also privatising entities like BSNL, Visaka Steel and LIC,” he added.

Alleging that the Centre has been acting with a vindictive attitude, he said: “The BJP government is refusing to release Rs 30,000 crore funds because Telangana did not fix electricity meters to agriculture borewells. Union Minister G Kishan Reddy should tell us why these funds were stopped.”

Upgradation of hospitals

Speaking about the Sirpur-Kagaznagar hospital which was inaugurated on Thursday, he said: “This 30-bed hospital was constructed at a cost of Rs 5 crore. This hospital will soon be upgraded into a 100-bed facility.”The minister also announced that the Bejjur Primary Health Centre too will be upgraded soon.

Later, he visited Bellampalli and inaugurated a 100-bed hospital and a dialysis centre.“The chief minister has decided to establish medical colleges in all the districts so that our students need not go abroad to pursue MBBS. The erstwhile Adilabad district, which has been divided into four districts, now has medical colleges in Adilabad and Mancherial. In 2023, medical colleges will be established in the other two districts — Asifabad and Nirmal 2023,” he said.

“The children of SCCL employees are getting special reservations in MBBS, paramedical and nursing seats in Ramagundam Medical College,” he added. District Collector Bharati Holikeri, Mancherial MLA N Divakar Rao, Bellampalli MLA Durgam Chennaiah and Kagaznagar MLA Koneru Konappa were present on the occasion.

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