Singareni has supplied more than 25 million tonnes of coal to thermal power plants in Telangana and other states so far this year, Telangana IT and Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu said while rejecting allegations by BRS working president KT Rama Rao and other party leaders about the state-owned mining company.
Speaking at a press conference in Hyderabad, Sridhar Babu said only 1.20 million tonnes, or 12 lakh tonnes, of the coal supplied so far this year was G-9 grade. Of this quantity, 0.52 million tonnes was supplied to Telangana GENCO power plants, he said.
G-9 grade coal is currently being produced from nine Singareni mines. According to the minister, an average of approximately four million tonnes of G-9 coal was supplied annually to thermal power plants with fuel supply agreements over the past decade.
The minister also addressed the fuel supply agreement for the Yadadri Thermal Power Plant. The agreement, which provides for 14 million tonnes of G-9 coal annually, was made during the previous BRS government on the basis of increased production expected from new mines that Singareni would undertake in the future, he said.
Sridhar Babu questioned why those mines had not been developed and linked the issue to Singareni’s decision not to participate in coal block auctions conducted by the Central government. As a result, he said, the company did not secure the Koyagudem-3 and Sattupalli-3 blocks, losing the opportunity to produce nearly 10 million tonnes of quality coal annually.
The minister said the current government had obtained approvals for the Naini coal mine and commenced production within two years. It had also secured approvals for Tadicherla Block-2, which was sanctioned in 2013, and obtained the Manuguru PK OC-2 Dip Side Block through an auction, he said. These additions would increase Singareni’s production capacity in the coming years, according to the minister.
The dispute also covers the monitoring of coal production and dispatch. Sridhar Babu said Singareni, which has 137 years of mining experience, uses a technology-based, multi-layered system to monitor production, loading, transportation, weighing and final distribution. He challenged those making allegations to provide evidence and asked them not to damage the reputation of the company’s workers and officials.
On the site visit certificate required for certain contracted works, the minister said the condition was introduced for Singareni’s operational benefit and not to favour any individual. Contractors, he said, should understand the work before bidding so that projects can proceed without obstacles after tenders are awarded.
Sridhar Babu said the government would continue securing new coal mines for Singareni while also working to expand the company into critical minerals, thermal power and solar energy. The minister’s statements provide the latest official account of the company’s coal supply, mine approvals and planned diversification, while the allegations by BRS leaders were not detailed in the report.
