Singareni evades KTR’s allegation of missing coal stocks

BRS working president KT Rama Rao has alleged that 40 lakh tonnes of coal are missing from Singareni Collieries Company Limited and sought a probe from Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy. SCCL, in its press note, listed current stock levels as the lowest in a decade but avoided a direct response to the allegation.

Peddapalli: Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) has conveniently ignored answering the charges levelled by the BRS working president KT Rama Rao about the missing coal stocks.

Rama Rao wrote to the Union Minister for Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy on Friday, demanding an investigation into the missing 40 lakh tonnes of coal at various stock points of the SCCL.

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However, the SCCL, which released a press note along with the details of available coal stocks on Saturday, evaded a direct reply to the allegation made by the BRS leader.

According to the release, as of June 4 this year, SCCL had 2.651 million tonnes (26.51 lakh tonnes) of coal stock available at various mines and Coal Handling Plants (CHPs). This is the lowest stock level recorded in the last decade.

It is also mentioned in the note regarding coal stocks since 2014. Seven million tonnes (70 lakh tonnes) of coal stock was available in 2015-16 and 7.4 million tonnes (74 lakh tonnes) in 2016-17. The average coal stock maintained at mines and CHPs was around 5 million tonnes (50 lakh tonnes) from 2014 to 2024.

To ensure reliable power generation, SCCL maintains a minimum stock of around 3 million tonnes (30 lakh tonnes), equivalent to approximately 15 days of thermal power station requirements. This enables uninterrupted coal supplies during adverse weather conditions.

Explaining the site visit certificate, the note said that the primary purpose of the site visit certificate is to ensure that bidders fully understand site conditions, safety requirements, scope of work and local operational challenges.

The objective is to ensure that contractors quote rates after thoroughly assessing all conditions and associated risks. The measure is not intended to restrict competition but to promote healthy competition and ensure efficient execution of works through proper planning and informed decision-making. Introduced for overburden tenders in May 2025, it is not unique to SCCL. Similar provisions are already being implemented by several government and private organizations, the press release said.

The practice is already followed by organizations such as Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation (GMDC), GIPCL, NMDC, Several Solar Power Projects, EPC Contracts. Within SCCL itself, site visit certificates were made mandatory for Coal Handling Plant (CHP) projects in 2018, 2021, and 2023 based on recommendations from CMPDI, a subsidiary of Coal India Limited.