Hyderabad: Union coal minister G Kishan Reddy on Thursday urged the Telangana govt to put politics aside and prioritise the financial health of Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) by clearing pending dues of ₹54,148 crore. He said the mounting arrears were placing a heavy burden on the PSU despite miners working under challenging conditions.Addressing a news conference, Kishan Reddy said the state govt owed ₹28,876 crore for power purchased from Singareni’s thermal power plant, while Telangana Genco owed another ₹25,272 crore towards coal supplied by the company.“How can Singareni sustain itself with such huge pending dues? What confidence will the workers have?” he asked.The Union minister alleged that the previous BRS govt left behind dues of nearly ₹30,000 crore and claimed that the Congress govt had added another ₹24,000 crore to the liabilities in the last two-and-a-half years. “The BRS has no moral right to question me on this issue,” he said.Defending the Centre’s decision to allocate a new coal block to Singareni, Kishan Reddy said he had secured the allocation after obtaining all necessary clearances.Calling for political consensus, he urged all parties and trade unions to work together to protect Singareni. “When Singareni is passing through difficult times, everyone should rise above politics and work for the organisation’s welfare,” he said.
