Singareni Workers’ Demands Must Be Resolved Within 60 Days, Says Kavitha

Demanding a resolution to the long-pending grievances of Singareni coal mine workers, HMS honorary president, TRS president and Telangana Rakshana Sena chief Kalvakuntla Kavitha led a protest at Singareni Bhavan in Lakdikapul, Hyderabad, on Monday. Kavitha, accompanied by HMS and TRS leaders and activists, staged a sit-in outside the office, pressing the management to address the workers’ concerns.

Kavitha demanded that the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) CMD personally meet the workers, hold discussions and provide a clear assurance on resolving their problems. She said the workers had been waiting for action on several issues and asserted that their demands could not be kept pending indefinitely.

As part of the protest, Kavitha gave the Singareni management 60 more days to resolve the workers’ grievances. She warned that failure to act within the deadline would prompt her to launch an indefinite hunger strike. She also made it clear that the campaign for the rights and welfare of Singareni employees would continue until their concerns were addressed.

A major demand is that workers should receive 35 per cent of Singareni’s profits. The protesters also sought appropriate action on workers who have approached medical boards, including conducting medical board proceedings twice a month.

Another key issue raised was the pending problem concerning workers’ alias names. The protesters demanded that vacant Junior Assistant posts be filled and that jobs be provided to dependents whose appointments have been withheld in connection with vigilance-related matters.

The workers also sought two guntas of land for every employee under a housing scheme to enable them to construct their own homes. They demanded allocation of new coal blocks to Singareni and called for the abolition of income tax for Singareni workers.

The protestors further demanded that contract workers be paid according to the High Power Committee’s recommendations. They also urged the government to immediately release the ₹62,000 crore owed to Singareni, arguing that the outstanding dues were affecting the company and its workforce.

Kavitha reiterated that the agitation would continue if the management failed to respond positively and resolve the workers’ grievances within the stipulated 60-day period.