Singareni does a first, recruits women to work in underground mines

The SCCL management has initiated the recruitment of 599 vacant posts through external methods. So far, 300 candidates have been appointed, including 180 women. Among them, 34 have been selected as management trainees in the mining category for Mining and Electrical and Mechanical roles. These women will work in underground coal mines alongside their male counterparts, performing duties as under managers, responsible for overseeing all operations within the mines.

Peddapalli: For the first time in the history of the Singareni Collieries Company Limited, women employees have been recruited to work in underground coal mines.

Though there are women employees working on the surface and various departments of Singareni, there are no women working in its underground mines.

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The SCCL management has taken the initiative to recruit 599 vacant posts through external methods. So far, postings were given to 300 candidates, including 180 women. Of them, 34 have been selected under management trainee mining category for Mining and Electrical and Mechanical posts. These women have to work in the underground coal mines on par with the male employees. They have to discharge duties as under managers. The duty of the under manager is to monitor the entire activity in the mine.

When the excavation of coal was started in 1889, women used to work in undergoing mines on par with men. Over a period of time, women were barred from mining activity following the increase in accidents and reportedly, the inability to carry heavy loads coal.
SCCL started recruiting women on compassionate grounds from 2018. Though women were provided jobs in place of their deceased husbands or fathers, they were engaged in surface works such as attenders in workshops, mines and opencast mines. Presently, more than 1500 women are working in various departments of the company.

In 1990, five women officers were recruited for the personnel department. Of them, three retired and the remaining two are working in the General Manager cadre. For the first time, women have directly been recruited to work in underground mines.