HYDERABAD: BRS working president KT Rama Rao alleged a massive coal scam worth Rs 1,600 crore in the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) and demanded an immediate investigation into “disappearance” of nearly 40 lakh metric tonnes of coal.
On Friday, the former minister wrote a letter to Union Coal & Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy, alleging that the Congress government in Telangana is turning Singareni into a hub of scams.
He claimed that official records on the Singareni website showed coal stocks of around 40 lakh metric tonnes across seven mining areas, including Mandamarri, Srirampur, Ramagundam, Bhupalpally, Yellandu and Sathupalli. “But coal is not physically available at stockyards, raising serious questions about where coal worth nearly `1,600 crore had gone,” he added.
The legislator from Sircilla sought to know why neither the Union Coal Ministry officials nor the Comptroller and Auditor General had conducted inspections despite the issue being repeatedly raised by the BRS.
He alleged that both the Centre and the state government had failed to respond to concerns over irregularities in Singareni, which he described as a key asset of the people of Telangana.
The BRS leader also referred to the previously highlighted Naini coal mine tender controversy and other alleged irregularities involving solar power projects, diesel procurement, explosive purchases and CSR funds. He accused both the Congress and BJP of protecting those responsible and alleged a tacit understanding between Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and the Centre.
Demanding a probe by a sitting judge, Rama Rao said that an all-party team should visit the mines and verify the available stocks. He warned that if no action is taken, the BRS, along with Singareni workers, would launch a major agitation against both the state and Union governments.
