Singareni Collieries management becomes center of political dispute in Telangana

A political dispute has emerged in Telangana regarding the management and financial status of Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL). BRS Working President K. T. Rama Rao has accused the Congress-led government of conspiring to create a power crisis to facilitate a potential 3,000 crore rupee foreign coal import scam. Rama Rao alleged that the government is planning expensive imports through a private company, Bhotra Logistics, which could involve commissions of 1,500 rupees per tonne.

Rama Rao also raised concerns over the decline in SCCL’s coal production, which dropped from approximately 70.02 million tonnes in 2023–24 to an estimated 58 million tonnes for 2025–26, and demanded an explanation for 60,000 crore rupees in outstanding dues owed to the company.

In response, Minister D. Sridhar Babu refuted the allegations of mismanagement, stating that the current administration has restored fiscal discipline and rescued SCCL from financial distress. He accused the previous BRS government of treating the coal major like an ‘ATM’ and driving it into a debt trap. Babu attributed the decline in coal production to historical missteps by the previous administration, including the failure to participate in central coal block auctions, which resulted in the loss of critical production capacity and the closure of 14 mines.