Coal miners unhappy with 34 per cent share in SCCL profits

Coal miners have expressed disappointment over the Telangana government’s decision to announce a 34 per cent share of SCCL’s annual profits. Workers expected Rs 2 lakh each but will receive an average of Rs 1.53 lakh, prompting criticism from miners and trade unions.

Mancherial: Coal miners have expressed displeasure over the announcement of a 34 per cent share in the annual profits earned by Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) on Tuesday.

The government announced a share of Rs 596 crore, amounting to 34 per cent of the coal major’s profits of Rs 1,754 crore for the 2025-26 financial year. This was against Rs 819 crore recorded in the previous year and Rs 796 crore in 2023-24. Staff and workers would now receive an average of Rs 1.53 lakh each, compared with Rs 1.95 lakh in 2025.

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Workers said they were disappointed with the government’s decision to retain the share at the previous year’s level. They had expected Rs 2 lakh each this year, considering inflation. They regretted that their share in the profits was declining year after year under the Congress government.

Ambala Pavan, a coal miner from SRP-3, said he was upset over the lower payout. He remarked that trade unions had failed to persuade the government to offer a higher share than the previous year. He added that the government was doing injustice to coal miners by offering a meagre share of the profits.

Meanwhile, trade union leaders expressed anger over the government’s decision to retain the same share. They alleged that the government was merely juggling numbers and accused it of duping coal miners by reducing their share. They criticised it for reporting lower income and announcing a 34 per cent share.

Surender Reddy, general secretary of the Telangana Boggu Ghani Karmika Sangham, said the government had announced the share without consulting trade unions. He said coal miners were unhappy with the payout and alleged that a meeting addressed by BRS working president KT Rama Rao had forced the government to announce it hastily.

The unions also questioned the government’s decision to set aside Rs 4,034 crore from the profits in 2025 for future needs. They demanded details of how the funds had been utilised and which development activities had been undertaken. They accused the government of duping miners for the third consecutive time.

Year: 2023-24

Profits (Rs): 2,420 Cr
Share %: 33

Cost of share (Rs): 796 Cr
Year: 2024-25
Profits (Rs): 2,360

Share %: 34
Cost of share (Rs): 819 Cr

Year: 2025-26

Profits (Rs): 1,754
Share %: 34

Cost of share (Rs): 596 Cr