Don't take part in mines auction, KTR warns cos

Hyderabad : The BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Thursday warned the companies participating in the auction of the mines in Telangana, stating that the BRS would be forming the next government after four and a half years and would cancel the allocation of mines.

The BRS leader made these comments while addressing a press conference along with the party leaders from the constituencies of Singareni coal belt. Condemning the Centre’s decision to auction the mines, Rama Rao said KTR also said that even if companies participate in the auction and get the mining rights, the BRS would cancel the leases once they come into power after four and a half years. KTR assured that BRS would try to safeguard Singareni and its future by taking direct action against the Central government's move to auction Singareni mines.

The BRS leader accused that both the BJP and Congress were conspiring to privatise Singareni by opting to auction coal mines in Telangana instead of allocating them directly to the home company. The Centre is auctioning more than 60 mines in the country, including Singareni, starting from Friday. The state government’s participation in the auction contradicts their previous stance of opposing the auction and seeking direct allocation from the Central government to Singareni, KTR said.

KTR questioned Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's silence over the Central government's auction of mines in the Singareni area. He recalled that their party government had stalled the auctioning of coal mines in the Singareni area for the past nine years to safeguard Singareni's future. “With 16 MPs, neighbouring state's Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is trying to halt the privatisation of Vizag Steel Plant (VSP) and safeguarding their state's interests. In contrast, the two national parties which got eight seats each were giving the return gift in the form of auctioning the mines,” said Rao, demanding all MPs and the two Central ministers from Telangana should immediately work to cancel the Singareni mines auction.

The BRS leader alleged that Centre made the VSP incur losses by not allocating dedicated mines. He pointed out the Centre allocated mines to Gujarat state undertakings. Why Singareni could not receive similar treatment, he questioned.