Singareni union leaders felicitate Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka for his efforts towards the company’s bright future
The Telangana government’s primary objective is to protect Singareni, one of the most prestigious public sector undertakings and the “soul of Telangana”, and ensure that it remains a profitable organisation for future generations, Deputy Chief Minister and Energy Minister Sri Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu said.
Singareni recognised, representative and officers’ union leaders felicitated Deputy Chief Minister and Energy Minister Sri Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu at the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Telangana State Secretariat on Monday, in appreciation of his leadership and support in securing crucial coal blocks and providing strategic direction for the company’s bright future.
Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka said Singareni had suffered significant losses during the previous government’s tenure due to the failure to acquire new coal blocks and the closure of existing mines. He said that, with the objective of ensuring that the company does not reach a situation where it could face closure within five or six years, Chief Minister Sri A. Revanth Reddy and the Cabinet ministers worked with determination to secure the Naini Coal Block for Singareni.
He said the state government had also successfully secured the mining lease for the Tadicherla-2 Coal Block, which had been re-assigned to Singareni by the UPA government in 2013, after taking up the matter with the Centre. In addition, the government persuaded GENCO and worked to ensure that Singareni secured the Manuguru Deep Side Block-2 through the auction process. He said he had personally visited Odisha and held discussions with local public representatives to resolve issues relating to the Naini block and pave the way for its development.
The Deputy Chief Minister observed that, with alternative sources of power generation such as solar and wind becoming increasingly available across the world, demand for thermal power and coal consumption could decline in the future. If Singareni continued to depend solely on coal, there was a risk that it could fall behind like BSNL once did, he cautioned.
Therefore, he said the government was encouraging Singareni to diversify into the mining of critical minerals such as copper, graphite, lithium and cobalt, in line with global developments. International consultants had been appointed to study opportunities in countries such as South Africa, Brazil, Australia and Chile, he said.
He further stated that Singareni had already participated in and secured a gold mine in Karnataka through an auction. Once mining operations commence there, the mine is expected to provide Singareni with a continuous source of royalty or revenue in the future.
The Deputy Chief Minister noted that Singareni currently has around 43,000 to 45,000 permanent employees, besides approximately 30,000 contract and outsourced workers. He directed the organisation to move forward aggressively to secure mining blocks anywhere in the state, the country or across the world.
He made it clear that the government’s objective is to transform Singareni, an organisation with more than 100 years of experience, into a world-class institution. He called upon everyone to work collectively and contribute towards taking the company to greater heights.
Irrigation Minister Sri Uttam Kumar Reddy praised Singareni for progressing rapidly under the efficient and dynamic leadership of Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka, particularly through the opening of new mines, expansion of business activities and implementation of new projects.
The Minister said the government would extend its full support to make Singareni one of the best public sector organisations in the country in the coming years. He recalled that he had praised Singareni’s achievements on several platforms and described it as a prestigious organisation that every citizen of Telangana should be proud of.
Speaking at the felicitation programme, Singareni Recognised Workers’ Union President Sri Vasireddy Seetharamaiah, Representative Workers’ Union Secretary General Sri Janak Prasad, and Officers’ Association President Sri Lakshmipathi Goud praised Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka for his efforts to secure the crucial Naini Coal Block for Singareni.
They said that after the people’s government came to power in the state, the Deputy Chief Minister personally visited Odisha and met the Chief Minister, local public representatives and people, convincing them and facilitating the necessary approvals for the Naini block. As a result of his efforts, production from the Naini Coal Block commenced last year, and the first rake of coal from the block was transported to Singareni this month to meet the state’s energy requirements.
They also praised his special efforts in securing the mining lease for the Tadicherla-2 Coal Block, which had been allocated by the UPA government in 2013.
At the same time, they expressed concern that the previous BRS government had prevented Singareni from participating in coal block auctions, resulting in the company losing two crucial mines that were important for its long-term survival.
They explained that, under the present people’s government, Singareni was permitted to participate in coal block auctions, enabling it to recently secure the Manuguru Deep Side-2 Block.
They said the government was also working with the objective of transforming Singareni from an organisation confined largely to coal production into an international mining enterprise, with a strong presence in the critical minerals sector.
They described Singareni’s acquisition of exploration licences for gold and copper minerals in Karnataka as another major achievement under the people’s government.
The union leaders also appreciated the government’s various measures for the welfare of workers. They described the distribution of bonuses to contract workers as a historic step. They said hundreds of people had benefited from the decision to increase the maximum age limit for dependent employment from 35 years to 40 years.
The felicitation programme was attended by Singareni Recognised Workers’ Union President Sri Vasireddy Seetharamaiah, General Secretary Sri Raj Kumar, Representative Workers’ Union Secretary General Sri Janak Prasad, Senior Vice-President Sri Narsimha Reddy, Officers’ Association President and Secretary Sri Lakshmipathi Goud and Sri Peddi Narsimhaulu, along with a large number of leaders of recognised, representative and officers’ unions from various Singareni areas.
