Cut Costs, Uphold Quality, Kishan Reddy Tells SCCL
Competitive pricing while upholding quality is key for government firms to retain market share,” he said, urging cost‑cutting measures.
Hyderabad:Union coal and mines minister G. Kishan Reddy on Tuesday directed government coal companies, including Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), to maintain strict quality standards and reduce production costs to remain competitive.
Speaking via a nationwide video conference from New Delhi, he emphasised India’s push for energy self‑reliance and announced a new coal sale mechanism through the proposed Coal Exchange, enabling consumers to choose preferred grades from selected suppliers. “Competitive pricing while upholding quality is key for government firms to retain market share,” he said, urging cost‑cutting measures.
SCCL chairman and managing director Dr Buddhaprakash Jyoti, joining from Singareni Bhavan in Hyderabad, outlined plans to launch five new opencast projects — JK OC at Yellandu, Manuguru Opencast Extension, Ramagundam OC‑1 Phase‑III, Goleti OC and RK Opencast — pending clearances. He noted SCCL’s focus on higher‑quality supplies and increased summer dispatches to prevent stock buildup.
Jyoti added that due to non‑availability of Compensatory Afforestation land, SCCL requires CPSU status to facilitate early grounding of new mining projects. Company directors including L.V. Suryanarayana (Operations) and K. Venkateshwarlu (Planning & Projects) also participated in the meeting.
