Hyderabad: The Union government has made it clear that it is not going to sell away its equity in the public sector Singareni Collieries Company to Telangana State government in the interest of nation.
Union minister for coal and power Piyush Goyal told this to Mahbubabad TRS Member of Parliament Prof A. Sitharam Naik in Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
The Union minister has said that the Telangana state government in August 2014 had sent a proposal to the Centre for purchase the Government of India’s equity in Singareni.
However, the Union power ministry, after getting the proposal, examined it and has stated that it is not an acceptable proposition.
“Coal is a national asset and it has to be used in a manner that need-based equitable distribution is effected for the entire country including the non-coal bearing states. Hence, it would not be in national interest to divest Government of India’s shares,” the minister told the MP.
In a reply to a supplementary question, the minister said the Union government is having 48.9015 per cent equity shareholding in the Singareni Collieries.
In reply to a separate question, the minister said there was no plan for relocation of thermal power plants in some states including Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
