Union Minister Kishan Reddy launches Singreni Bharosa Yatra, says Tadicherla-2 coal block is future of SCCL

Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy said the Centre allocated the Tadicherla-2 coal block to SCCL with Singareni's future in mind. He urged the Telangana government to clear Rs 54,000 crore in dues and highlighted the Centre's support for the coal company

Kothagudem: As the Congress government and the BJP engaged in a war of words over claiming credit for the allocation of the Tadicherla-2 coal block to SCCL, Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy asserted that the Modi government allocated the block to the company out of its commitment to Telangana and with the future of Singareni in mind.

Singareni workers, local residents, public representatives and various political parties had, for nearly 20 years, wanted the coal block to be allocated to the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL). It was the only coal block in the country allocated to a public sector coal company without an auction.

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In view of the declining revenues of Singareni, Tadicherla-2 would be a valuable coal block with the potential for coal production spanning 40 to 50 years. The workforce, which once stood at around 70,000, has now come down to nearly 40,000, while over 30,000 contract workers depend on Singareni for their livelihood. New coal blocks were essential to secure their future, he said.

Kishan Reddy launched the ‘Singareni Bharosa Yatra’ here on Monday and addressed meetings of Singareni workers and intellectuals at Kothagudem and Manuguru.

The Supreme Court cancelled the coal block allocations made by the UPA government led by Manmohan Singh following a massive coal scam worth around Rs 2.60 lakh crore. In 2014, the court directed that future coal block allocations be made through auctions to public or private entities, he said.

Nearly 11 years later, Tadicherla-2 was the only coal block to be directly allocated to Singareni without an auction. The Centre has already allocated the Naini coal block in Odisha to Singareni to meet the power needs of Telangana. This proves the Centre’s support for Singareni.

Both the previous BRS regime and the current Congress government acted negligently regarding the clearance of dues worth Rs 54,000 crore to Singareni. Out of this, the current government also owes a substantial amount, Kishan Reddy said.

He demanded that the State government immediately release the funds due to Singareni rather than limiting itself to giving assurances. The funds due to Singareni were not charity from governments but hard-earned revenue generated through the sweat of its workers, he added.