Telangana Singareni Coal Mine Strike Sparks Political Row

Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader T Harish Rao, a former Telangana minister, wrote an opinion piece in the Telugu daily Velugu—owned by Congress minister G Vivek Venkataswamy—criticising Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and the condition of the Singareni Collieries Company. The article sparked debate over media impartiality and intra‑party dynamics.

Rao also led a relay hunger strike on July 1 at the Singareni General Manager’s office, demanding the reinstatement of Performance‑Related Pay and a Pay Revision Committee for mine officers. He blamed the Congress government for the first‑ever Singareni officers’ strike, alleging that the suspension of PRP for two years under the current administration caused a drop in coal output, shutdowns at state thermal power plants, and forced the state’s electricity distributors to buy power from external markets. He accused Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka of indifference to the protest, which involved around 2,500 officials wearing black scarves.