Hyderabad: Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Tuesday said the Telangana government is committed to strengthening Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) to secure long-term employment and economic benefits for future generations.
Addressing a review meeting at the Singareni GM office in Bhupalpally, Bhatti said SCCL, with over 45,000 employees, must remain competitive as the coal industry shifts from a public sector monopoly to an open market framework.
He directed officials to publicly display coal production costs and open market prices at mining sites to maintain transparency and improve awareness among workers. He also called for benchmarking Singareni’s cost structure against private players.
Bhatti urged the management to explore mining of other critical minerals beyond coal, citing Singareni’s 136-year operational history. He proposed hiring expert consultants to assess global mineral demand and identify growth opportunities.
He stated that business goals must go hand in hand with social responsibility. “Welfare of the mining region is non-negotiable,” he said. Responding to complaints, he ordered a probe into two affected villages in Bhupalpally and asked officials to prepare a list of eligible persons who lost land and are due employment.
He highlighted recent worker welfare measures, including ₹1 crore accident insurance coverage and bonus payments for both permanent and contract staff.
The meeting was attended by Minister D. Sridhar Babu, MP Kadiyam Kavya, MLA Gandra Satyanarayana, SCCL CMD Balram Naik, and District Collector Rahul Sharma.