Former minister T Harish Rao has issued a strong demand to the Telangana state government, urging the immediate establishment of a medical board and the reinstatement of dependent jobs within the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL). He framed this as a critical humanitarian issue that can no longer be ignored.
Urgent Demands and a Stern Warning
Harish Rao directly appealed to Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka to take swift action. He warned that if the government fails to set up the medical board and provide jobs to the children of Singareni workers, the workers themselves would be forced to lay siege to the Bhavan in protest. This ultimatum underscores the escalating tension surrounding the welfare of SCCL employees.
A Delegation Presents Grievances
The demands were formally presented on Saturday when Harish Rao, along with former minister Koppula Eshwar and other members of the BRS-affiliated Telangana Boggugani Karmikula Sangam, met with SCCL director Gautam and submitted a detailed representation. Following the meeting, Rao provided historical context, recalling that dependent jobs were cancelled during Chandrababu Naidu's tenure as Chief Minister of united Andhra Pradesh, but were reinstated after K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) came to power in Telangana.
"Of the 40,000 Singareni employees, 20,000 are dependent workers. KCR and the BRS government appointed them, protecting both the employees and the organisation," Harish Rao stated. He accused the current Congress government of failing to deliver on its promises, noting that while they pledged to hold medical boards twice a month, only two have been convened in two years.
Allegations of Harsh Working Conditions and Financial Mismanagement
Rao painted a grim picture of the current working environment in the collieries. He alleged that workers with severe disabilities, including those without legs, the visually impaired, and even those who have undergone heart bypass surgeries, are being compelled to work. He sharply criticised the administration, labelling it "an anti-worker government, not the people's government as they claim... a government without humanity."
The former minister further alleged a conspiracy by the Congress government, under Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, to privatise Singareni. He linked the company's financial distress to the state's actions, claiming that bills for coal supplied for electricity generation are going unpaid, pushing SCCL into deep debt and forcing it to pay salaries through overdrafts due to a lack of funds.
"Singareni is in debt amounting to several crores after the Revanth government took over. But the same Singareni paid Rs 10 crore for football," Rao remarked, highlighting what he sees as misplaced priorities. He concluded with a political promise: "When the BRS government comes back to power, we will investigate the Rs 110 crore spent on a football match and hold those responsible accountable."
