KTR Vows To protect Singareni From Privatization
Questioning the silence of the Centre and the Union Coal Ministry, KTR asked why the Centre, which holds a 49% stake in SCCL, had not ordered an inquiry into the alleged irregularities.
KARIMNAGAR: BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao has stressed the need to protect Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) from privatisation, accusing Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy of conspiring to hand over the company to private players.
He called upon workers to unite against the alleged moves to privatise the company and protect their rights. KTR was speaking at the Singareni Karmika Garjana meeting held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Godavarikhani, Peddapalli district, on Wednesday evening.
“Does the State government, which has funds to carry out a ₹1.5 lakh crore scam in the Musi project, have no money for Singareni’s development?” he asked. Alleging that the Congress government was weakening the company, he said SCCL had reached a situation where it lacked funds to procure essential equipment and supplies, including tyres for dumpers, dozers, graders, spare parts and lubricants.
He alleged that a deliberate conspiracy was being hatched to push the company into a financial crisis. KTR said Singareni’s Jaipur Thermal Power Plant, built during the BRS regime, had once ranked first in the country with a performance score of 91.8%. However, he claimed, it had slipped to the 65th position due to coal shortages under the Congress government.
Accusing the State government of focusing on commissions rather than the company’s development, he alleged that the government was using the pretext of opening new overburden (OB) mines to benefit vested interests. He also criticised the Chief Minister for allegedly spending Singareni funds on football matches while failing to provide financial support to SCCL workers.
Questioning the silence of the Centre and the Union Coal Ministry, KTR asked why the Centre, which holds a 49% stake in SCCL, had not ordered an inquiry into the alleged irregularities. He demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or a sitting judge.
He alleged that the BJP and the Congress government in Telangana had an understanding, which explained the Centre’s silence on the alleged irregularities. He also claimed that the recognised trade union of SCCL was aligned with the state government. KTR asserted that BRS president K. Chandrashekar Rao was the only alternative for Singareni workers to defeat the Congress government.
