Hyderabad, The issue of allotment of coal blocks to Singareni Collieries got heated in Telangana on Friday as Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka urged the Center to allocate coal blocks to the state mining corporation under reservation quota, and the BRS questioned the silence from the boss. Minister Revanth Reddy.
The Prime Minister responded to the BRS in a post on social media platform X late on Friday.
Vikramarka, who attended the launch of the 10th round of commercial coal mine auctions here, submitted a memorandum at the event to Union Minister for Mines and Coal G Kishan Reddy urging that Singareni be allotted coal blocks in the Godavari catchment area under the reserve quota, without having to participate in the auction process.
Vikrarmarka asked Kishan Reddy, who is also Telangana BJP president, to discuss the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
If necessary, the state government is ready to collectively address the chief minister with representatives of all parties, he said.
The amended Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act facilitates the allocation of new coal blocks to Singareni under the reservation system, he said.
Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) is a government coal mining company jointly owned by the Government of Telangana and the Government of India in the ratio of 51:49.
Singareni, with its long history, currently operates 39 coal mines, but without new mine allocations, the existing mines will gradually be depleted, he said.
The PSU has requested the Coal Ministry to allocate four crucial coal blocks adjacent to its old mines with available infrastructure. However, the decision was made to auction
the four blocks, he said.
"It is unfortunate that our governments do not support a public sector company," he said, noting that Singareni employs thousands of people.
Kishan Reddy said that he would look into the issues raised by Vikramarka and also discuss the matter with the prime minister. The Center will work in the interest of Singareni, he said.
He also said that he would talk to the Odisha government to ensure that production starts at the Naini coal block earlier allocated to Singareni. Production has not started on the block for various reasons, he said.
"We assure you that in mission mode, we can resume production. (For) Singareni, 15 per cent of the production we can get from the Naini coal block. (As for) the remaining issues that you raised, (as you ) I too belong to Telangana, I know the importance of Singareni in the development of the state and I will discuss it with the Prime Minister," Kishan Reddy said in response to Vikramarka's concerns.
It is the state governments that benefit and not the Centre, he added.
Meanwhile, BRS working president K T Rama Rao lashed out at Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, saying the Congress leader had in 2021 demanded that the Center stop the auction of coal blocks and transfer four coal blocks to Singareni. "But now as chief minister, to the utter dismay of the people of Telangana, you have sent your deputy CM to participate and promote the auctions which you and the Congress party had vociferously opposed in the past!!", said Rama Rao in X.
"Can you explain the reasons for this change of heart and the compulsions (if any) that may have led to this?" he added.
Revanth Reddy hit back at the BRS leader, alleging that two Singareni coal blocks were "sold" to two private companies when Rama Rao's father K Chandrasekhar Rao was the chief minister.
The BRS never spoke against it, said Revanth Reddy in X.
Vikramarka attended the event "not only to protest against further privatization and auctioning of the Singareni blocks" but also to demand the return of the blocks sold to the two private companies, he said.
The Prime Minister responded to the BRS in a post on social media platform X late on Friday.
Vikramarka, who attended the launch of the 10th round of commercial coal mine auctions here, submitted a memorandum at the event to Union Minister for Mines and Coal G Kishan Reddy urging that Singareni be allotted coal blocks in the Godavari catchment area under the reserve quota, without having to participate in the auction process.
Vikrarmarka asked Kishan Reddy, who is also Telangana BJP president, to discuss the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
If necessary, the state government is ready to collectively address the chief minister with representatives of all parties, he said.
The amended Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act facilitates the allocation of new coal blocks to Singareni under the reservation system, he said.
Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) is a government coal mining company jointly owned by the Government of Telangana and the Government of India in the ratio of 51:49.
Singareni, with its long history, currently operates 39 coal mines, but without new mine allocations, the existing mines will gradually be depleted, he said.
The PSU has requested the Coal Ministry to allocate four crucial coal blocks adjacent to its old mines with available infrastructure. However, the decision was made to auction
the four blocks, he said.
"It is unfortunate that our governments do not support a public sector company," he said, noting that Singareni employs thousands of people.
Kishan Reddy said that he would look into the issues raised by Vikramarka and also discuss the matter with the prime minister. The Center will work in the interest of Singareni, he said.
He also said that he would talk to the Odisha government to ensure that production starts at the Naini coal block earlier allocated to Singareni. Production has not started on the block for various reasons, he said.
"We assure you that in mission mode, we can resume production. (For) Singareni, 15 per cent of the production we can get from the Naini coal block. (As for) the remaining issues that you raised, (as you ) I too belong to Telangana, I know the importance of Singareni in the development of the state and I will discuss it with the Prime Minister," Kishan Reddy said in response to Vikramarka's concerns.
It is the state governments that benefit and not the Centre, he added.
Meanwhile, BRS working president K T Rama Rao lashed out at Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, saying the Congress leader had in 2021 demanded that the Center stop the auction of coal blocks and transfer four coal blocks to Singareni. "But now as chief minister, to the utter dismay of the people of Telangana, you have sent your deputy CM to participate and promote the auctions which you and the Congress party had vociferously opposed in the past!!", said Rama Rao in X.
"Can you explain the reasons for this change of heart and the compulsions (if any) that may have led to this?" he added.
Revanth Reddy hit back at the BRS leader, alleging that two Singareni coal blocks were "sold" to two private companies when Rama Rao's father K Chandrasekhar Rao was the chief minister.
The BRS never spoke against it, said Revanth Reddy in X.
Vikramarka attended the event "not only to protest against further privatization and auctioning of the Singareni blocks" but also to demand the return of the blocks sold to the two private companies, he said.
