Former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao intentionally finished the Singareni Collieries which had 70,000 workers in 2014 when the BRS took over which has since come down to 38,000 now. (Image: DC)
Hyderabad: Former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao intentionally finished the Singareni Collieries which had 70,000 workers in 2014 when the BRS took over which has since come down to 38,000 now.
The Mining Act in 2015 had streamlined the bidding process of mines and opposed allocation of coal blocks on nomination basis. This had been supported by the BRS then. However, the same party’s leader KT Rama Rao is speaking in a meaningless manner now to gain political gains, the BJP charged.
The party’s national SC Morcha secretary S Kumar said the BRS is responsible for the current bankruptcy of Singareni Collieries. When a new law was passed, it gave certain freedom to states to get coal blocks in their respective regions. But, the BRS government never applied for four coal blocks in Telangana region in the stipulated period. However, states like Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh took advantage of the Act and got coal blocks.
Freedom was given to Western Coal Fields, Eastern Coal Fields, South Eastern Coalfields and Mahanadi Coalfields, he said. Kumar pointed out that the BRS government had an evil intention to privatise the Singareni Collieries, but it wanted to put the blame on BJP. The BRS had always tried to provoke the sentiments of Singareni workers, but never showed interest to save the company.
The fall of Singareni started during the UPA regime that had allotted 121 blocks on nomination basis to several shell companies. These fake firms approached banks on the government letter and took loans worth thousands of crores of rupees, debilitating the banking system, he said.
Kumar urged the chief minister to order a CBI probe into all financial irregularities that took place during the BRS regime in Singareni Collieries and also probe why the company failed to get its Rs 20,000 crore dues from GENCO and TRANSCO.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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