Singareni Collieries denies disappearance of coal amid allegations of Rs 1,600 crore scam
Hyderabad, June 21 (IANS) The Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) on Sunday denied theft or disappearance of its coal, amid allegations of a Rs 1,600 crore coal scam.
The public sector company issued a clarification that there is no truth to the recent media reports.
The clarification came days after a letter written by Union Coal Minister G. Kishan Reddy to Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, seeking an urgent probe into reports claiming that nearly 40 lakh tonnes of coal, worth around Rs 1,600 crore, had gone missing from the SCCL.
Opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) had alleged a massive coal scam in the company and demanded a thorough investigation.
The company stated that all processes related to coal production, stockpiling, transportation, and sales are conducted with complete transparency and under the supervision of modern technological systems. It also outlined the coal transportation, security systems, and technical monitoring mechanisms currently in place at Singareni.
“Every stage — from the moment coal is produced at the mines until it reaches the consumer — is digitally recorded. Approximately 85 per cent of the coal is supplied via rail, while the remaining 15 per cent is transported by road. Coal allocations are managed through an integrated SAP-based system, with details such as the consumer, mine, quantity, and supply date recorded digitally in advance,” the company said in a statement.
Senior officials from the Singareni Operations Department clarified that information regarding every tonne of coal is continuously monitored through Coal Net, SAP, and other online systems.
Senior officials from the Planning Department stated that every vehicle transporting coal by road is weighed at electronic weighbridges. They added that real-time monitoring of vehicle movements is maintained through RFID-based boom barriers, GPS/GPRS tracking, and geofencing systems.
Officials from the Coal Transport department clarified that details regarding the loading and dispatch of every wagon are being digitally recorded. They stated that round-the-clock monitoring is being conducted using CCTV cameras, RFID systems, check-posts, flying squads, and security personnel at mines, coal handling plants (CHPs), weighbridges, railway sidings, stockyards, and entry-exit points. They added that surprise inspections and special patrols are also being carried out continuously.
The Singareni management asserted that allegations regarding coal theft or disappearance are baseless, given the highly robust, multi-layered security framework — comprising RFID, GPS, CCTV, Coal Net, electronic weighbridges, Singareni security, flying squads, hologram challans, and task force monitoring—under which the coal production and transportation process operates.
In his letter to Telangana Chief Minister dated June 10, Union Minister Kishan Reddy raised concerns over reports that nearly 40 lakh tonnes of coal had allegedly gone missing from SCCL stocks. He said the reported disappearance of coal and other irregularities were serious and required immediate investigation.
“I wish to bring to your notice reports about the disappearance of 40 lakh tonnes of coal worth Rs 1600 crore, causing significant financial loss to the company,” he wrote.
The Union Minister warned that if the allegations were true, they could hurt the company’s financial health and its future growth. He also pointed to SCCL’s current financial position, saying unpaid dues from the Telangana government could further weaken the company.
“Given SCCL’s current financial position due to unpaid dues exceeding Rs 51,500 crore from the Telangana government, these allegations could further hamper the financial stability of SCCL,” the letter said.
The Singareni Collieries Company Limited is jointly owned by the Telangana government and the Centre on a 51:49 equity basis.
–IANS
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