N Ramchander Rao Praises Tadicherla II Allotment To SCCL Slams Congress Govt

On Monday, Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao addressed a meeting in Hyderabad, praising the Central government's decision to allot the Tadicherla-II coal block to Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) without an auction. During the address, Rao also accused the Congress-led Revanth Reddy government of pushing the state-owned miner into financial distress.

Rao termed the allocation of the coal block a "historic decision" for the state of Telangana and the workers of Singareni. He credited Union Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy with securing the block for SCCL.

Typically, coal blocks are allotted through competitive auctions that involve hefty premium payments. However, Rao noted that the Centre made an exception for the Tadicherla-II block. This auction-free decision is expected to sustain coal production for SCCL for the next 40 to 50 years without the burden of a heavy premium.

In his address, Rao alleged that SCCL is currently facing severe financial difficulties. He accused the Revanth Reddy government of burdening the state-owned miner by diverting funds generated by its workers to sponsor football tournaments and other external programmes.

Recalling his tenure as a Member of Legislative Council (MLC), Rao stated that he had repeatedly raised Singareni-related issues in the legislative council. He also highlighted his past interactions with the company's workers during trade union elections organised by the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh.

According to the BJP leader, the party has consistently fought for the rights of Singareni employees through both legislative interventions and public movements. He claimed that both the Congress and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) had failed students, farmers, employees, job seekers, pensioners, and Singareni workers alike.

Rao concluded by warning the state government against taking any decisions that would harm the interests of the workers, stating that the BJP would actively oppose any move that weakens the state-owned coal miner.