Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], January 28 : A delegation of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), led by its Working President KT Rama Rao, met the Governor at Raj Bhavan and submitted a memorandum alleging corruption and financial irregularities in the functioning of Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL).
The delegation, comprising Members of Parliament, Members of the Legislative Assembly and Council, and senior party leaders, submitted documents claiming misuse of public funds, irregularities in tendering processes, and inflated costs in mining and solar power projects undertaken by Singareni.
Speaking to the media after the meeting on Monday, KT Rama Rao said the BRS had apprised the Governor of what he described as large-scale irregularities in Singareni and alleged that the Congress government had failed to provide satisfactory explanations despite repeated disclosures by BRS leaders, including former minister and Assembly Party Deputy Leader T. Harish Rao.
He further said that the party had urged the Governor to initiate or recommend an independent inquiry, either by the Central Bureau of Investigation or a sitting judge, into the alleged irregularities in Singareni's overburden mining and solar power projects, seeking immediate intervention to prevent further financial losses.
He alleged that following the party's disclosures supported by documents, the ruling party had avoided addressing the allegations directly and was instead attempting to divert public attention by summoning individuals in the name of inquiries.
KT Rama Rao further claimed that the Chief Minister's silence on the issue had triggered discontent among workers in coal-mining regions, leading to the perception that the government was shielding a "coal mafia." He alleged that nearly Rs 10 crore of Singareni funds had been diverted for purposes unrelated to the company's core operations, terming it detrimental to the public sector undertaking and its workforce.
Raising questions over tendering practices, the BRS leader pointed to the introduction of a "Site Visit Certification" clause in recent tenders, stating that such a provision had not existed earlier in Singareni or in coal mines elsewhere in the country. He alleged that tenders which previously received bids below estimated costs were cancelled and reissued with the new clause, resulting in significantly higher project costs.
KT Rama Rao demanded that the government release a White Paper detailing the number of companies that conducted site visits over the past nine months, communications received by Singareni, certificates issued, and the criteria adopted for contractor selection.
He also alleged selective favouritism towards certain contractors and sought clarification on alleged links between beneficiaries and relatives of the Chief Minister. Referring to solar power projects, he said that while the national average cost ranged between Rs 2.5 crore and Rs 3 crore per megawatt, Singareni projects in Telangana were tendered at nearly Rs 7 crore per megawatt.
The BRS leader further alleged a 30 per cent increase in the prices of explosives and gelatin sticks used in mining operations, claiming that objections raised by Singareni directors during board meetings were ignored and that action was instead initiated against them while contractors benefited.
The delegation informed the Governor that Singareni is jointly owned by the Telangana government (51 per cent) and the Government of India (49 per cent), stressing that the funds involved were public money and required strict accountability