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Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President KT Rama Rao launched a scathing attack on the ruling Congress government and the BJP during the Singareni Karmika Garjana in Ramagundam, accusing the state leadership of pushing the public-sector coal miner toward privatisation and financial ruin.
Addressing a massive gathering of coal workers, Rao alleged that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is conspiring to hand over Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) to private interests. Pointing to severe operational shortfalls under the current administration, KT Rama Rao said, "CM Revanth Reddy is conspiring to privatise Singareni." Expanding on the administration's power sector setbacks, Rao highlighted the sharp decline in output at state-backed thermal facilities and said, We built the Damaracherla Thermal Power Plant with a capacity of 4,000 MW. Today, the Congress government is not even generating 400 MW. Singareni management told us that the government owes 60,000 crore to them. The BRS leader further raised financial irregularities, claiming millions of metric tonnes of coal had vanished from inventory and pointing to alleged conflicts of interest within the state administration. Highlighting these discrepancies, KT Rama Rao Said, We also found that 40 lakh metric tonnes of coal had gone missing. Who is responsible for this coalmaal-golmaal? Singareni is being controlled by Revanth Reddys brother-in-law, Sudhini Srujan Reddy. Rao also directed criticism toward the BJP-led central government, questioning why Union Minister Kishan Reddy failed to order an independent central probe despite the Centre holding a 49% equity stake in Singareni. We demanded Union Minister Kishan Reddy order an investigation into the missing coal. Instead, he wrote to Revanth Reddy asking him to investigate the matter. Why is the Union Minister leaving the state government to investigate allegations involving itself, when the Centre holds a 49% stake in Singareni?" KT Rama Rao said. Earlier, in September, Congress MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy had hit back at BRS working president KT Rama Rao over his remarks on the Jurala Project, alleging that the previous BRS government was responsible for the financial and operational challenges faced by Telangana's power sector. Speaking to ANI, Reddy said the condition of power projects and state-owned Singareni Collieries Company Limited had deteriorated during the BRS government's tenure. He alleged that no new mines were started for Singareni between 2014 and 2023, while 18 mines were closed after their ore reserves were exhausted. "Today, the status of power projects is because of the BRS party. In the new state, Singareni was the pride of Telangana. In 2014, PSU Singareni was our pride. By 2023, by the time BRS left power, they hadn't started any new mines for this PSU. Rather, there are 18 mines which have closed because the process has been done [and] the ore is finished in those mines," Reddy said. The Congress MP further alleged that some mines in Telangana that could have been given to Singareni were instead auctioned to private players. Even some of the mines in Telangana itself, they haven't given to Singareni; rather, they have given [them via] auction. They have auctioned [them] to private players who are their relatives," he said. Reddy also alleged that Singareni had accumulated significant dues to the state power distribution companies (DISCOMs), which he claimed contributed to their financial difficulties. Rs 35,000 crore was the debt of Singareni to the DISCOMs. All the DISCOMs have gone bankrupt. The surplus state of Telangana has gone into 8 lakh crore [in] debt," he said. He accused the previous BRS government of focusing on the interests of its family members, friends and political associates rather than the people of Telangana. "This is just because of BRS governance. BRS has looted this state for the sake of their family empowerment, their friends and relatives, and their political friends' empowerment, not for the people's empowerment," Reddy alleged. Reddy said the Congress government, after coming to power, pursued power projects that had remained pending due to cases before the National Green Tribunal (NGT). "And Congress, after coming into power, pursued the power projects which were pending due to NGT (National Green Tribunal) cases," he said. (ANI)
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