Modi govt planning to privatise SCCL, says CPI leader

Hyderabad: The Communist Party of India national secretary Dr. K Narayana on Sunday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government at the Centre was trying to privatise Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) by killing it entirely. He also alleged that the privatisation of SCCL was a part of the contract and privatisation policies of the Modi government.

Dr. Narayana said the Central government had allowed commercial mining in the year 2015 after amending Mines and Minerals Development Regulation Act 2015 and added that it had already identified 240 mines to be privatised.

Noting that a total 98 mine licenses have already been allotted to private individuals, including BJP leader Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy, Narayana said notifications had been issued to privatise Kairaguda mine from Yellandu, OC-3 mine from Sattupalle, Shrawan Palle mine and Kalyanakhani mine from Mandamarri.

The CPI national leader said the production of the Singareni company would come down after handing over the mines to private persons and added that the company would gradually die due to reduction in production.

He also reacted on the Prime Minister's visit to the State and alleged that the visit was politically motivated and was full of political interests. Targeting the State police for their arrest on Saturday, he wondered if the police were working for the PM and the Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, while stating that the police had even entered the premises of their party headquarters. He mocked that PM Modi had come to the State to boost the morale of the party leaders and workers, who are in a state of shock after their humiliating defeat at the recent Munugodu Assembly by-election.