Coal block auction: KT Rama Rao questions different rules for different States

Industries Minister KT Rama Rao asked why there were different rules for different States in the same country after Centre excluding three coal mines in Tamil Nadu from its auction list

Hyderabad: Taking strong exception to the Centre excluding three coal mines in Tamil Nadu from its auction list, Industries Minister KT Rama Rao asked why there were different rules for different States in the same country.

Telangana had been demanding the same in connection with four coal blocks in the State, which the Coal Ministry was repeatedly putting up for auction as part of its attempt to open up the country’s resources for commercial mining, despite strong objections from the State.

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Telangana has repeatedly been requesting the Centre for the last two years to allocate the coal blocks to the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), he pointed out. However, even after failing to find takers for the coal blocks in the previous rounds of auction, the Coal Ministry again issued notifications last week, including three of Telangana’s coal blocks in the to-be-auctioned list.

Telangana, in fact, is witnessing widespread agitation against the Centre’s move, with the BRS leading a massive protest at Singareni and at other places against the auction.

At the same time, the Centre, in an act of utter discrimination, agreed to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin’s request on April 4 to exclude three coal blocks in the Cauvery delta region from the proposed coal block auction.

“This is exactly what we have been demanding & protested even today for Singareni Collieries… That 4 Coal mines of Telangana be removed from auction list & allocated Directly to SCCL…Why different rules for different states in the same country?” (sic) Rama Rao tweeted.

This👇is exactly what we have been demanding & protested even today for Singareni Collieries

That 4 Coal mines of Telangana be removed from auction list & allocated Directly to SCCL

Why different rules for different states in the same country? #Singareni pic.twitter.com/0rOtdVKle8

— KTR (@KTRBRS) April 8, 2023