Telangana’s Deputy Chief Minister, Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, has called on the Centre to assign all coal blocks in the Godavari basin to the state-owned mining company, Singareni. He emphasized the need for the BJP-led government to demonstrate its support for Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) by directly allocating the coal blocks to the company instead of putting them up for auction. Vikramarka highlighted the importance of restoring SCCL’s status as a Central Public Sector Undertaking, which was revoked during the NDA government’s tenure.
Addressing the media, Vikramarka stressed that Singareni, with a 51:49 shareholding between the state and Central governments, should not be neglected by the Centre. He expressed gratitude for the mining license granted to SCCL for the Tadicherla-II block while clarifying that this was not a new allocation but a lease approval for a block previously allotted in 2013. The Deputy CM criticized Union Coal Minister G. Kishan Reddy’s statements regarding the allocation process, pointing out that the block had been assigned to SCCL during the UPA government’s term.
Vikramarka accused the NDA government of causing delays in granting the mining lease for the Tadicherla-II block, despite efforts made by the current Chief Minister and himself. He alleged that the previous state government had hindered SCCL’s participation in coal block auctions, leading to the loss of certain blocks. The Deputy CM also highlighted the pending dues owed to SCCL, attributing them to the previous government’s negligence, and emphasized the current administration’s commitment to clearing these dues and revitalizing the company.
