Sridhar Babu Rebuts KTR’s Allegations on Singareni

Telangana Minister Duddilla Sridhar Babu has responded to allegations made by BRS working president K. T. Rama Rao and other leaders regarding Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL). According to the minister, Singareni currently produces G-9 grade coal from nine mines and has supplied more than 25 million tonnes of coal to thermal power plants in Telangana and other states so far this year. Of this, approximately 1.2 million tonnes was G-9 grade coal, including 0.52 million tonnes supplied to Telangana GENCO power plants. He said the annual fuel supply agreement for 14 million tonnes of G-9 coal to the Yadadri Thermal Power Plant was signed during the previous government, based on anticipated production from new mines. Sridhar Babu alleged that Singareni lost opportunities to develop key coal blocks, including Koyagudem-3 and Sathupalli-3, because it did not participate in the Centre’s coal block auctions. He also cited the closure of around 14 mines as a factor affecting production capacity. The minister said the present government had secured approvals for the Naini coal mine within two years, obtained mining permissions for Tadicherla Block-2 and secured the Manuguru PK OC-2 dip-side block through an auction.

Addressing concerns over coal transportation and alleged irregularities, Sridhar Babu said Singareni operates a multi-layered monitoring system that includes SAP/ERP integration, GPS/GPRS vehicle tracking, geofencing, electronic weighbridges, surprise inspections, boom barriers and anti-coal theft teams. He maintained that every tonne of coal is accounted for and urged opposition leaders to provide evidence for their allegations. The minister also defended the site-visit certificate requirement for contractors, saying it helps them understand geographical conditions, local factors and infrastructure before bidding, thereby reducing the risk of projects being abandoned after work begins. He noted that similar requirements had been included in certain Singareni tenders in 2018, 2021 and 2023, following advice from Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDI). Reiterating that Singareni is jointly owned by the Telangana and Central governments, with stakes of 51% and 49% respectively, Sridhar Babu said the government intends to secure more coal mines and expand the company into critical minerals, thermal power and solar energy. These statements represent the minister’s response to the allegations; the claims and figures would need to be assessed against official company records and the opposition’s response.