CM Announces Mega Dasara Bonus for Singareni Collieries Workers

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Friday announced a mega Dasara bonus for Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) workers. The state government will disburse Rs 796 crore as a bonus to SCCL employees.

Each of the 41,387 regular employees of the company will receive Rs 1.9 lakh, against last year’s Rs 1.7 lakh. The additional Rs 20,000 per worker reflected the company’s robust performance in 2023-24, said Reddy.

In a landmark first-of-its-kind decision, around 25,000 contract workers will also be getting a bonus of Rs 5,000 each.

The Chief Minister made this announcement during a press conference at the Secretariat, alongside Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, who also holds the energy portfolio. He provided details about the company’s financial performances and future expansion plans.

SCCL generated income of Rs 4,701 crore in 2023-24. Out of this, Rs 2,289 crore has been earmarked for expansion and investment, while the remaining Rs 2,412 crore forms the basis for the bonus allocation. A third of this amount, Rs 796 crore, has been reserved for the workforce as a reward for their hard work and dedication.

Bhatti said, “Singareni workers have been the backbone of the state's development, and their toil has enabled us to announce significant rewards.”

Apart from the bonus, the state government has laid out an ambitious plan to invest Singareni’s profits into future projects, focusing on expanding its power generation capabilities. They include: expansion of solar power capacity to 1,000 MW; a 500 MW pumped storage plant (where water is moved between reservoirs to generate power) at Ramagundam; a 1x800 MW thermal power plant at Jaipur mandal in Mancherial district and a 2,400 MW super-critical thermal power plant at Naini in Odisha.

Reddy reiterated the government’s commitment to the welfare of Singareni workers and their families. He announced modernisation of area hospitals and plans to establish a multi-specialty hospital in Hyderabad, specifically catering to the medical needs of Singareni employees and their families. Additionally, new residential schools for workers' children will be set up to ensuring quality education.

SCCL managing director N. Balram and trade union leaders expressed their gratitude to the state government for recognising the hard work and contributions of the employees.

Ministers N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, Damodar Rajanarasimha and Duddilla Sridhar Babu, were present at the press conference, along with Singareni trade union representatives and MLAs from the region.

Union leaders Vasireddy Sitaramaiah and Janak Prasad thanked the Chief Minister for ensuring that contract workers were duly rewarded for the first time.