Hyderabad: Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka on Thursday said securing the Singareni future was the State government’s top priority. He said the government wanted Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) to become a stronger and future-ready public sector enterprise. He also said the government planned to expand the company’s business and ensure its long-term sustainability.
Bhatti Vikramarka described Singareni as the soul of Telangana. He said the people of the state and the workforce shared an emotional bond with the 130-year-old institution. According to him, everyone had a collective responsibility to protect and strengthen the organisation.
The Deputy Chief Minister inspected the Sathupalli open-cast coal mine. During the visit, he reviewed coal reserves, production processes and coal quality. Later, he said the inspection helped assess mining operations, identify challenges and review future plans.
He instructed officials to prevent overburden, soil and rocks from mixing with coal. Further, he asked officials to monitor every shovel and loading point continuously. He said strict monitoring would help maintain coal quality.
Singareni future requires quality coal and long-term planning
Bhatti Vikramarka said poor-quality coal increased transportation costs. It also reduced the efficiency of thermal power plants. Therefore, he directed officials to supply only high-quality coal to TGGENCO and other customers.
Meanwhile, he said the coal sector had become highly competitive. He attributed the change to private players and rising coal imports. As a result, he said Singareni must improve coal quality and reduce production costs.
The Deputy Chief Minister said Singareni had missed several opportunities over the past decade. He said the company did not participate in auctions for new coal blocks. Accordingly, he directed officials to prepare a strategy with a 10-year vision.
Further, he instructed the managements of Singareni and TGGENCO to prepare a joint long-term action plan. The plan should assess future electricity demand in Telangana. It should also estimate coal requirements for the next decade.
He also said the global shift towards clean energy required Singareni to diversify its operations. He urged the company to expand rapidly into the solar energy sector.
Energy Special Chief Secretary Navin Mittal, SCCL Chairman and Managing Director Dr Buddha Prakash Jyoti, TGGENCO CMD Dr Harish, SCCL Director Gautham Potru, Khammam District Collector Divakar T.S., and MLAs Matta Ragamayee and Maloth Ramdas Naik accompanied the Deputy Chief Minister.