HYDERABAD: Telangana Jagruthi president K. Kavitha on Sunday challenged Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka to initiate an investigation into alleged corruption within the state government instead of scrutinizing worker recruitments in Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL).
Speaking at a roundtable on ‘Save Singareni’ at the Jagruthi office, Kavitha criticized the Deputy CM’s directive for vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau probes into dependent appointments in SCCL.
“Are you willing to investigate your government’s corruption instead of focusing on Singareni jobs?” Kavitha questioned, alleging that the current probe was politically motivated following the exposure of irregularities in the Naini coal block.
She highlighted significant corruption in major agreements, including an Rs 11,000 crore solar power project with Rajasthan and a Rs 2,250 crore lithium refinery deal with Alt Min, a firm with minimal revenue. Kavitha demanded a detailed white paper on both projects and called for accountability for all parties allegedly involved.
Citing audit reports, Kavitha further pointed out alleged financial losses to SCCL:
Rs 250 crore in a diesel scam
Over Rs 1,000 crore from uncollected charges
Rs 24 crore due to leakages
Rs 74 crore from violations
During the roundtable, five key resolutions were passed, urging:
Telangana Assembly to pass a resolution against the Centre’s labour codes
Immediate formation of a medical board for SCCL
Release of a white paper on the Alt Min Rs 2,250 crore agreement
Full accountability for alleged irregularities
Operationalization of new coal blocks like Naini and Tadicherla
Kavitha’s strong stance emphasizes transparency and accountability in SCCL operations while calling out what she termed as politically driven actions targeting the workforce.