Telangana Govt Must Act on Naini Coal Tender: Kishan
Kishan Reddy expressed serious concerns about the finances of SCCL and said that if the state government was ready to entrust responsibility of leading SCCL then the Union government was ready to take its responsibility and lead it towards profitability.
Hyderabad: Amid controversy over alleged irregularities in Naini coal blocks tender of Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), Union minister coal and mines G. Kishan Reddy said he was keen to address the matter through a thorough probe. However, he put the rider that if the state government comes forward only then the Centre would consider the CBI investigation.
Addressing a press conference in Delhi, the Union minister expressed serious concerns about the finances of SCCL and said that if the state government was ready to entrust responsibility of leading SCCL then the Union government was ready to take its responsibility and lead it towards profitability.
He alleged that the state government delayed the process even after the final permits for the Naini coal mines were received. He stated that canceling the tenders was a direct injustice to Singareni. He further said that the Union government was considering the formation of a special committee regarding the tender process. “A tripartite agreement needs to be reached and future tenders and other important issues should be discussed extensively,” he felt.
Reacting to the letter by BRS leader T. Harish Rao demanding CBI inquiry, Kishan Reddy said that investigation requires the state government's permission. “Some people are speaking without understanding the facts. What did the BRS do when they were in power? Have they forgotten that the central government had a 49 per cent stake back then? Isn't it true that they acted in a way that benefited certain companies and individuals?” he asked.
The Union minister noted that the profit making company like SCCL was now facing an estimated debt of `47,000 crore. He lamented that no other coal mining company in the country was facing this level of difficulty.
“One must understand the sincerity of the BRS then and the Congress party now towards Singareni and the welfare of its workers. The situation has come to a point where they have to borrow money from banks to pay salaries. Because the state government is exploiting Singareni, the company has no alternative but to increase prices to run the organisation,” Kishan Reddy pointed out.