Hyderabad, July 7 (NSS): Former minister Koppula Easwar today alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given the Coal ministry to Union minister from Telangana Kishan Reddy to destroy Singareni company, which has a history of more than 100 years.
Speaking to media persons at the party’s district office in Peddapalli, he said when KCR was in power, he had blocked the auction of coal mines. He criticised that Deputy Chief Minister of the State Bhatti Vikramarka himself participated in the auction of Singareni coal blocks to private companies. He also criticised the Revanth Reddy government for making failed attempts to convince that Singareni power companies were incurring losses. “Singareni Company is the treasure of the State and it is not just a company. It is the economic and social lifeline of Telangana. Singareni is an organisation spread across six districts in the Telangana region. It is an institution that has given life to lakhs of rural poor,” he said.
He said the 133-year-old company had a history of providing employment opportunities to lakhs of people. “Singareni is also a company that has made profits for many years with the combined efforts of the workers and management. It was once in serious losses, despite having the share of the Central and State governments and being managed under the control of the State government. In the last one year also, Singareni gave 32 per cent of the profit share to the workers. Even though Singareni is a public sector undertaking and is making profits, the Central government was thinking of privatising it. This is like an axe for the development of Telangana State. “At any point of time, public sector undertakings that are in losses will be given to private companies and auctioned,” he said.
“Coal mines in many States will be left to those States on the request of the respective governments. Singareni, which is running on a profitable path in Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra and other States, should also be left in the interest of the State,” he said. He reminded that KCR wrote a letter to the Centre on December 8, 2021 not to allocate mines through auction. He said the State has 51 percent share and the Centre 49 % share in the Singareni. (NSS)
