Don’t believe rumours about SCCL sale: PM Modi

RAMAGUNDAM : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that there is no proposal for the privatisation of Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL). In an indirect dig at TRS leaders, he said people sitting in Hyderabad were spreading false information and appealed to workers to not believe the rumours.

Explaining the share in SCCL, he said the Telangana government has 51 per cent stake while the Centre has 49 per cent. He added that the Centre doesn’t control SCCL.

After dedicating Ramagundam Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited (RFCL) to the nation, he virtually inaugurated the new railway line from Bhadrachalam to Sattupalli. He also laid the foundation stone for the widening of three National Highway (NH) roads — Medak- Siddipet - Elkathurthy section (NH 765DG), Bodhan - Basara - Bhainsa section (NH 161BB) and Sironcha - Mahadevpur section (NH 353C).

Centre provides subsidies to ryots: PM Modi

Later, he addressed a public meeting at NTPC stadium in Ramagundam. “After hearing my statements, leaders in Hyderabad who spread false propaganda might not get sleep at night,” the prime minister said.

Countering the claims of the State government that the Centre doesn’t disburse funds for projects in Telangana, Modi said, “For the welfare of farmers, shut industries are being revived across the country. For the development of Telangana, the Central government has spent Rs 6,000 crores in the last eight years and will continue to spend further.”

In the coming days, the fertiliser produced at the unit will bear the Bharat brand name, he said, adding that it will help farmers not only in the State but also in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.

The prime minister also stressed the importance of ‘Aatmanirbharta’ and mentioned how the burden of the global price rise of fertiliser due to the pandemic and Russian invasion of Ukraine hasn’t transferred to the farmers.

A Rs 2,000 bag of urea is being made available to farmers for Rs 270, he mentioned. Similarly, a bag of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) priced at Rs 4,000 in the international market costs Rs 2,500 to ryots because of the Centre’s subsidies, Modi added.

In conclusion, the prime minister said, “We want to take Telangana forward by following the mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas’”.

Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, Union Culture and Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers, New and Renewable Energy Bhagwanth Khuba and Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar were also present at the event.