Former Minister T Harish Rao Levels Serious Corruption Allegations Against Singareni Collieries
In a significant development that has sent shockwaves through Telangana's political and industrial circles, former minister T Harish Rao has made explosive allegations of multi-crore scams within the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL). The seasoned politician has called for immediate intervention from Union minister G Kishan Reddy, demanding a thorough investigation into what he describes as systematic corruption across multiple projects.
Solar Power Projects Under Scrutiny for Alleged Irregularities
Addressing journalists at Telangana Bhavan on Friday, Harish Rao presented detailed accusations regarding the 107 MW solar power initiative. He claimed that SCCL deliberately consolidated three separate sites into a single tender, a move he says was designed to limit competition and exclude Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) from participation. "This manipulation has resulted in an additional financial burden of approximately 250 crore rupees," the former minister asserted during his press conference.
Harish Rao further elaborated on what he termed as preferential treatment in contract awards. According to his allegations, a 540 crore tender was granted to a favored company under questionable circumstances. "Nationally, the cost for 1 MW of solar power installation stands at around 3.5 crore rupees, typically including land belonging to the developer," he explained. "However, in Singareni's case, solar plants are being constructed on SCCL-owned land, yet the company is paying 5.04 crore per megawatt. This discrepancy has led to nearly 200 crore rupees in additional losses."
Ramagundam Solar Project and Procurement Concerns
The allegations extend to the 67MW solar power project at Ramagundam, where costs have reportedly been fixed at nearly 7 crore rupees per MW—almost double the national average. Harish Rao claimed this 480 crore project was also awarded to a preferred company through manipulated site visit conditions. "Through these two solar initiatives alone, approximately 500 crore rupees have been mishandled," he stated emphatically.
Beyond solar energy, the former minister raised serious concerns about procurement practices within Singareni. He alleged that explosives were being acquired at rates 30% higher than market standards, representing another significant financial drain on the company's resources.
Site Visit Certificate System Under Fire
A recurring theme in Harish Rao's allegations is the controversial site visit certificate requirement. He claimed this condition has been improperly applied to multiple tenders, including the Prakasham mine project worth 1,044 crore rupees and the overburden removal tender at Srirampur. "If the site visit system is indeed illegal, as evidence suggests, then all tenders awarded under this mechanism must be cancelled without delay," he demanded.
The former minister highlighted concerning patterns in tender management, noting that certain contracts had been postponed seven times. He also pointed out that since the Revanth Reddy government assumed power, six overburden removal contracts had been issued under the disputed site visit certificate system.
Call for Comprehensive Investigation and Transparency
Harish Rao concluded his allegations with a strong appeal for accountability and transparency. "All such questionable tenders must be cancelled immediately, and a full-scale investigation must be conducted," he insisted. The former minister emphasized the need for complete disclosure of facts to the people of Telangana, urging Union minister G Kishan Reddy to order a comprehensive probe into all Singareni projects and contracts.
These allegations come at a sensitive time for Telangana's energy and mining sectors, potentially impacting public trust and investor confidence. The detailed claims about tender manipulation, inflated costs, and preferential treatment suggest systemic issues that could have far-reaching consequences for the state's economic landscape and governance standards.
