BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao and other leaders at a meeting with TBGKS functionaries in Hyderabad on Thursday.
The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leadership held a meeting with leaders of the Telangana Boggu Gani Karmika Sangham (TBGKS), the trade union affiliated to BRS, on Thursday, to discuss plans to oppose the auction of coal blocks in the State, aimed at privatisation of Singareni Collieries Company Ltd. (SCCL).
BRS working president KT Rama Rao, former minister Koppula Eshwar, MLA Kova Laxmi, former legislators Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy, Naradasu Laxman Rao, Korukanti Chander, Durgam Chinnaih, Banoth Haripriya Naik, and Putta Madhu participated in the meeting.
The meeting is being seen as an attempt by BRS to regain its hold among SCCL workers.
Mr. Rama Rao said that the Centre had included coal blocks in Singareni areas only to privatise the company in future and unfortunately, the Congress Government in the State was supporting it.
He stated that the plan was to push the profit-making Singareni into losses by not allotting coal mines to the company and prepare a ground for disinvestment in the company by citing losses, as the Centre had been doing with many public sector companies.
Every worker of Singareni was aware of the fact now that Congress and BJP were working together to auction coal blocks in Telangana. On the other hand, BRS’ policy had always been to strengthen public sector companies and that was the reason why the BRS Government in the past had chosen Life Insurance Corporation to implement Rythu Bima and BHEL for establishing power projects.
BRS had been working together with public sector companies from the Statehood movement days and the role of Singareni workers in ‘Sakala Janula Samme’ was unparalleled, as all the Southern States had faced the ripple effect of Singareni workers’ strike due to impact in coal production and supply. Every Singareni worker was aware of the fact how the BRS had worked for the development of the company and not allowed coal blocks auction in Telangana for over nine years when it was in power.
But, the Congress and BJP had put the coal blocks in Telangana for auction with the thought that BRS had no voice in Parliament (Lok Sabha) now. BRS would fight for the cause of Singareni whether it is in power or Opposition, he added.
