Hyderabad, Oct 13 Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Tuesday announced that each permanent employee of state-run Singareni Collieries would receive an average profit share of Rs 1,53,912 for the Dasara festival.
The Singareni Collieries Company Limited is a government coal mining company jointly owned by the Telangana government and the Government of India, with equity stakes of 51 per cent and 49 per cent, respectively.
Vikramarka said 38,737 permanent employees would benefit from the decision. In addition, 29,717 contract workers would receive a bonus of Rs 5,500 each.
He said the government had decided to distribute 34 per cent of Singareni’s profits among workers, continuing the practice followed in previous years.
The company earned a net profit of Rs 1,754 crore this year, of which Rs 596 crore would be distributed among workers as their profit share.
Vikramarka, who holds the Finance and Energy portfolios, said the government was equally committed to the welfare of permanent employees and contract workers.
He said the government was determined to fulfil Singareni employees’ long-standing aspiration of owning houses.
“We will give the highest priority to workers’ welfare and the future of their families. Long-pending issues will be resolved, and justice will be delivered to eligible workers. We are preparing a special action plan to provide housing opportunities to Singareni employees and workers,” he told reporters here, flanked by state Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu and ruling Congress MLAs.
The deputy CM directed officials to identify Singareni-owned land where mining had not been undertaken and prepare suitable layouts for housing.
He instructed them to formulate an action plan to establish a housing colony named after former Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who promoted a mixed economy and strengthened public-sector enterprises.
Vikramarka recalled that, of the 5,774 acres returned by Singareni to the Revenue Department, 4,500 acres had been distributed as house-site pattas to the poor during the previous Congress government headed by the late chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy in undivided Andhra Pradesh.
He said the Singareni management had been directed to expedite the issuance of house-site pattas to eligible beneficiaries for the remaining approximately 1,250 acres.
He said officials had been instructed to complete pending formalities relating to around 250-300 dependent employment orders within the next 15 days and issue appointment orders to eligible candidates.
Between 136 and 170 pending cases involving changes in workers’ names would also be examined from a humanitarian perspective, he said.
To reduce inconvenience to workers seeking medical invalidation, Vikramarka directed the management to hold medical board meetings on designated days every month at all Singareni area hospitals in the districts where the company operates.
He instructed officials to examine the possibility of reinstating, through a one-time option, workers who had lost their jobs because they could not report for duty during the Covid-19 pandemic or for other reasons.
He directed the management to distribute safety kits to workers every six months and stressed that there should be no compromise on workplace safety.
Expressing concern over the impact of coal-mine dust on public health, Vikramarka announced that free cancer screening tests would be conducted in villages.
He asked officials to increase solar power generation by installing solar panels on government schools, colleges, hostels, hospitals and other public buildings in Singareni areas.
Vikramarka said several factors had contributed to the decline in Singareni’s profits compared with the previous year.
He alleged that the previous BRS government had failed to secure additional coal blocks during its 10-year tenure. Singareni had been prevented from participating in coal block auctions conducted by the Centre, resulting in substantial losses to the company, he said.
The company had missed opportunities to participate in auctions involving around 141 coal blocks, restricting its business expansion, he said.
The closure of some existing coal blocks had also affected production and revenue. With around 14 blocks having closed, he stressed the need to secure new blocks to replace them.
Vikramarka said the Congress government had taken steps to strengthen Singareni by focusing on acquiring new coal blocks. A mining company could maintain its financial strength only by continuously securing new blocks and expanding its business, he said.
The deputy CM said Singareni faced intense competition in the coal market from companies such as Mahanadi Coalfields, Coal India and Western Coalfields, as well as private suppliers offering coal at lower prices.
Some consumers were turning to alternative suppliers because Singareni’s coal prices were comparatively high, he added.
(PTI News)
