Rama Rao seeks probe into alleged Singareni irregularities

Bharat Rashtra Samithi working president K. T. Rama Rao called on October 14 for a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry or an investigation by a sitting judge into alleged irregularities at Singareni Collieries Company Limited, which he valued at ₹10,000 crore. The allegations have not been independently verified. Speaking at the Singareni Karmika Garjana meeting for coal workers in Telangana, Rama Rao accused the Congress-led state government of weakening the public-sector coal company and attempting to move it toward privatization. He also criticized the BJP-led central government for not ordering an independent investigation. The Centre holds a 49% stake in Singareni, according to the reports. Rama Rao alleged the state government owed Singareni about ₹60,000 crore and said coal production had fallen from roughly 70 million tonnes to 58 million tonnes. He attributed the reported decline to the Congress government’s administration. The figures were presented as his claims, not as independently confirmed company data. He also alleged that 40 lakh tonnes of coal had gone missing and that tendering procedures were being manipulated.