Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao has called upon the Centre to order an immediate and comprehensive investigation into the alleged disappearance of nearly 40 lakh metric tons of coal worth approximately Rs 1,600 crore from Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL). In a letter addressed to union coal minister G. Kishan Reddy on Friday, KTR questioned how such a massive quantity of coal, officially recorded in Singareni's stock records, could have vanished without accountability.
Allegations of Illegal Diversion
KTR alleged that the coal, which should have been available in stockyards, was illegally diverted and sold, causing a loss of nearly Rs 1,600 crore to the public sector undertaking. He demanded that the Centre immediately ascertain the whereabouts of the missing coal and bring those responsible to justice. He stated that ever since the Congress government assumed office in Telangana, Singareni has become synonymous with a series of scandals, including the Naini coal mine tender controversy and other alleged irregularities. He noted that there has been no meaningful response from the Centre despite repeated demands from BRS.
Official Records vs. Physical Verification
According to KTR, official records on the Singareni website indicated the availability of approximately 40 lakh metric tons of coal across multiple mines, including Mandamarri, Srirampur, Ramagundam-I, Ramagundam-II, Bhupalpally, Yellandu, and Sathupalli. However, physical verification reportedly revealed that the coal stocks were not available at the designated locations. He pointed out that despite records showing payment of coal cess and income tax on these stocks, the actual coal was allegedly missing from the ground. KTR questioned who was responsible for this discrepancy and why neither officials from the union coal ministry nor the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had conducted inspections so far.
“The coal of Singareni belongs to the people of Telangana. Both the state and Centre are collectively endangering the future of this institution,” KTR said. Demanding transparency, he called upon the Centre to send an all-party delegation to the concerned mines and stockyards for on-ground verification. He said such an exercise would expose the large-scale irregularities allegedly taking place in Singareni.
Previous Controversies
Referring to the earlier Naini coal mine tender controversy, KTR alleged that the Congress government introduced conditions such as mandatory site-visit certificates to favour select bidders. He claimed that despite BRS exposing the issue, no action had been taken against those involved. The BRS working president accused both the Congress and BJP of protecting those involved in various irregularities and demanded a judicial inquiry headed by a sitting judge into the Rs 1,600 crore coal scam.
“The livelihoods of thousands of Singareni workers and the future of Telangana’s most valuable public sector institution are at stake. BRS will not tolerate any attempt to weaken or destroy Singareni through corruption and collusion,” KTR stated.
