Singareni employees upset over delay in transfer process despite end of extended production period

SCCL employees are irked over delays in processing transfer applications, held up due to an extended production period and political interference. With over 700 pending requests, employees demand urgent action to avoid disruptions to their families and children’s education

Kothagudem: Employees of the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) who had applied for transfers are growing increasingly frustrated as the management continues to delay processing their applications, even though four months have passed since the end of the financial year.

Transfers are usually taken up after the financial year concludes. However, this year, the SCCL management extended the financial year-end production period and simultaneously put the transfer process on hold, much to the dismay of employees seeking relocation.

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Traditionally, the company designates January 1 to March 31 as the production period to meet annual targets. During this time, inter-area transfers are not permitted. Once the period ends, the management initiates the process of clearing transfer applications and finalises them by June to allow employees to relocate in time for school and college admissions for their children.

This year, for the first time in its history, the company extended the production period by two months, until May 31. As a result, scrutiny of applications and preparation of the transfer list based on area-wise vacancies has been delayed.

According to officials, over 700 employees have applied for transfers, with nearly 600 applications accompanied by recommendations from ministers and MLAs both within and outside the coal belt region. This level of political involvement has reportedly made the management hesitant, further stalling the process.

An employee who applied for transfer on personal grounds told Telangana Today on condition of anonymity that both the recognised union, AITUC, and the representative union, INTUC, have failed to raise the issue with the management. He criticised the unions for remaining silent even when the production period was extended.

He said he had already purchased textbooks, uniforms, and paid school fees for his children. A transfer at this stage would force him to seek fresh admissions and incur additional expenses, he said, appealing to the management to expedite the process without further delay.