Intense poll campaign witnessed in coal mines
The MLA aspirants, who left no stone unturned to win the election, put in serious efforts to woo the miners since the latter would decide the victory of candidates in 12 assembly constituencies directly and would have a say in the equations in at least 25 segments indirectly.
Peddapalli: Over the last few months, the Singareni coal mines witnessed campaigning on an unprecedented scale, with candidates of multiple political parties, their followers and trade union leaders visiting the mines to seek votes from workers.
The MLA aspirants, who left no stone unturned to win the election, put in serious efforts to woo the miners since the latter would decide the victory of candidates in 12 assembly constituencies directly and would have a say in the equations in at least 25 segments indirectly.
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Besides reaching the mines in bike rallies, candidates were seen interacting with the workers at gate meetings and trying to convince them by explaining the priorities of their respective political parties to protect the interests of workers. On the other hand, leaders of trade unions affiliated to various political parties too campaigned in a big way on behalf of their party candidates.
While the Telangana Boggu Ghani Karmika Sangam (TBGKS) affiliated to BRS campaigned on behalf of the ruling party candidates, the INTUC campaigned for Congress aspirants. The AITUC also campaigned on behalf of the Congress since its parental organization CPI has a poll alliance with the Congress. BMS, the labour wing of BJP, supported the saffron party candidates.
Almost all mainstream political parties are giving top priority for Singareni workers since about six lakh votes of workers and their family members are there in 12 constituencies such as Ramagundam, Mancherial, Bellampalli, Asifabad, Chennur, Peddapalli, Manthani, Bhupalpally, Kothagudem, Ellandu, Pinapaka and Sattupalli.
Moreover, their family members are also staying in other constituencies such as Choppadandi, Dharmapuri, Jagtial, Korutla, Adilabad, Sirpur, Bothe, Parkal, Mulugu, Ashwaraopet, Badrachalam, Khammam and Wyra segments. A total of 42,097 workers are working in Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL). Besides 26,471 contract labourers, 60,000 retired workers are also there.
Though providing Income Tax exemption is a long pending demand, privatisation of coal blocks has become a cause of concern for workers in the recent past since a few blocks of the SCCL were put on auction by the BJP-led Centre. Though the BRS government resumed the dependent jobs scheme in SCCL, it could not provide an I-T exemption facility since the I-T sector falls under the Centre. Privatization is also the subject of the Centre.
As part of their effort to convince workers, BRS leaders are explaining that the Telangana government has recruited nearly 19,463 persons in Singareni in the last nine and half years as against only 6,400 recruitments before the formation of Telangana.
Interest-free home loans of Rs 10 lakh were provided to workers besides 22,000 pattas as per GO.76 to houses constructed on Singareni lands in the State. Moreover, the turnover of the company increased to Rs.33,000 crore from Rs.11,000 crore and profits to Rs.2,184 crore from Rs.419 crore. Earlier, only Rs 40 crore was paid to workers as bonus. This year, Rs 700 crore was paid as bonus for Dasara festival.
