KTR demands increased Singareni bonus, clearance of Rs 60,000 crore dues

BRS working president KT Rama Rao urged the Telangana government to address Singareni workers’ welfare and financial concerns, including bonus dues, power utility payments, medical boards and housing. He also opposed any move towards disinvestment or privatisation of the coal company

Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao demanded that the Congress government address the financial and welfare issues confronting Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) and fulfil the promises made to its workers before the 2023 Assembly elections.

In a letter to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Tuesday, Rama Rao alleged that the Congress government had failed to protect workers’ interests despite Singareni earning thousands of crores in profits. He demanded that the annual bonus be calculated on the company’s actual net profit and that workers be paid more than 36 per cent of the profits as their share.

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The BRS working president said Singareni recorded a net profit of Rs 4,701 crore in 2023-24, but the Congress government paid only Rs 796 crore as bonus against the 33 per cent share cited by the previous BRS government. In 2024-25, despite a reported net profit of Rs 6,394 crore, only Rs 819 crore was paid as bonus, he said.

He said around Rs 2,342 crore in bonus-related dues for 2023-25 remained unpaid and demanded their immediate settlement. He also sought implementation of the Congress’ promise to bear income tax on workers’ perks and demanded that pending dues relating to perks be reimbursed to workers.

Expressing concern over Singareni’s financial condition, Rama Rao said around Rs 60,000 crore was reportedly due to the company from the State power utilities. He said the dues should be cleared immediately to prevent financial stress from affecting salaries, equipment procurement, medical services and new projects.

He also demanded regular medical boards for workers awaiting assessment for compassionate appointments. He sought appointments for more than 2,500 workers whose cases were pending before medical boards and alleged that the government had failed to maintain the earlier frequency of such boards.

The former minister questioned the government over the long-pending resolution of the “Maro Perlu” cases and sought an opportunity for dismissed workers to return to employment. He also sought implementation of the promised housing scheme, including 250-square-yard plots and interest-free loans of Rs 20 lakh for workers.

Rama Rao alleged that there were attempts to dilute the government’s stake in Singareni and demanded that any move towards disinvestment or privatisation be abandoned. Calling Singareni an asset of Telangana and a lifeline for thousands of families, he said the BRS would oppose measures that weaken the company and pledged to stand by its workers.