Telangana: Miners queue up to choose union

Kothagudem: Miners have shown immense interest in casting their votes for the recognised trade union in Singareni Collieries Company Limited. 

About 85.30 per cent of employees exercised their franchise. Of the 53,306 registered voters, 44,810 turned up at the polling stations. About 87.31 percent polling was registered in Kothagudem area, 89.31 in Yellandu area, 90.53 in Manuguru and 88.2 per cent in Kothagudem corporate area. 

A total of 8,147 voters of the 9,182 voters participated in the voting in the four areas in Kothagudem district.

Meanwhile, the Singareni Collieries Workers Union of Aituc leaders caught persons distributing two silver glass sets to voters in Kothagudem area. 

The issue was taken to the notice of polling officials by the Aituc. There are allegations that the TBGKS leaders distributed money to voters in Manuguru and Yellandu and AITUC leaders supplied liquor to the miners. 

About 15 trade unions participated in the election and the main fight was between Aituc and TBGKS. It is learnt that the sympathisers of HMS shifted their loyalties to TBGKS and Aituc in the election. 

Aituc leaders succeeded in highlighting the misuse of union funds by TBGKS. TRS MLAs and MPS were in the forefront of the campaign. 

The Congress had on Wednesday alleged a multi-crore scam in the Singareni Collieries Company Limited, and demanded a high-level inquiry and action against the culprits. 

TPCC general secretary and chief spokesperson Dasoju Sravan in a letter addressed to the Central Vigilance Commissioner alleged embezzlement of thousands of crores, tampering of records, gross mismanagement and official malpractices in the SCCL, a company jointly owned by the Government of Telangana and Government of India. 

Mr Sravan alleged that SCCL managing director N. Sridhar and a few of his senior management team; Telangana Boggu Gani Karmika Sangham, the elected trade union leaders and TRS leaders reportedly connived and indulged in various malpractices.