Hyderabad: Telangana Jagruthi President K. Kavitha has accused both Congress and BRS of colluding to protect large contractors in the ongoing Singareni contracts row. She said their actions sidelined worker concerns and worsened the financial state of the public sector company.
At a press meet in Banjara Hills on Sunday, Kavitha alleged that focus was being shifted to a small contractor to hide larger allocations worth ₹25,000 crore to Megha Krishnareddy. She questioned the BRS leadership’s silence over these high-value deals.
She clarified that Srujan Reddy, who is now under scrutiny, had received ₹250 crore in contracts during the BRS tenure. Highlighting this while ignoring bigger contracts, she said, misleads the public.
Kavitha demands end to MDO model and Singareni reform
Kavitha criticised the Mine Developer and Operator (MDO) model, blaming it for pushing Singareni’s debt from ₹25,000 crore to ₹50,000 crore. She said the company now borrows even to pay salaries, while power utilities still owe significant dues.
The Telangana Jagruthi chief urged the government to cancel the MDO system. She also demanded that all new coal blocks in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh go directly to Singareni. In addition, she called for fast-tracking pending labour issues, especially recruitment and bill clearances.
According to her, contract conditions were tailored to benefit a few firms, with high excess rates and restrictive site-visit clauses. She accused both parties of quick responses when top contractors face issues but no action when labourers suffer.
On press freedom, she opposed the arrest of journalists, calling for legal notices and due process instead. She also criticised political groups for defending journalists selectively, especially ignoring cases where Dalit women face defamatory coverage.
Rejecting rumours of joining Congress, Kavitha said such speculation only aims to harm her image. She reaffirmed Telangana Jagruthi’s worker-first stance and announced that a team would soon visit the Naini coal block.