Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy visited the Kakatiya Thermal Power Plant (KTPP) at Chelpur Village, Jayashankar Bhupalpally District, on 13 July 2026, and addressed workers of Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) as part of the Singareni Bharosa Yatra. He raised sharp concerns about the financial and operational condition of the state-run coal company, pointing to mounting debt, falling output, and a salary crisis.

Context

Reddy, who also serves as BJP Telangana state president, described Singareni as 'the heartbeat of Telangana and a cornerstone of India's energy security.' The visit was part of the Singareni Bharosa Yatra, a political outreach initiative targeting workers and communities dependent on the Singareni coal belt in northern Telangana.

At the gathering, he expressed concern that years of mismanagement by both the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the incumbent Congress governments in Telangana have left SCCL burdened with debt, declining coal production, and over ₹54,000 crore in pending dues. He alleged the company has been forced to depend on bank overdrafts even for routine salary payments to its workforce.

Policy Backdrop

SCCL is a joint venture between the Government of Telangana (holding a majority stake) and the Government of India, making it a uniquely shared responsibility between the state and the Centre. The company operates across the Godavari coalfields and supplies coal to thermal power stations across Telangana and neighbouring states, making its operational health directly tied to the region's power supply and employment.

As Union Coal Minister, Kishan Reddy holds policy oversight over India's coal sector broadly, though SCCL's day-to-day management falls under the Telangana state government. His intervention at the plant level signals a deliberate political and administrative focus on SCCL's governance at a time when the state is under a Congress government led by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.

Stakeholders and Impact

SCCL employs tens of thousands of workers directly, with many more dependent on ancillary operations across Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Mancherial, Bhadradri Kothagudem, and neighbouring districts. Allegations of salary delays and bank overdraft dependence, if accurate, would represent a significant deterioration in the company's financial health and directly affect worker welfare.

The ₹54,000 crore in pending dues cited by the minister — if owed to SCCL by power utilities or other buyers — would point to a systemic receivables crisis common to state-linked energy companies across India. Declining coal production at a company of SCCL's scale also carries implications for Telangana's power generation capacity and India's broader coal supply chain.

What's Next

The Singareni Bharosa Yatra is expected to continue across the Singareni coal belt, with the BJP using the platform to build worker support and press accountability demands on the state government. The allegations made by Kishan Reddy are likely to intensify political pressure on the Congress government in Telangana to present a credible financial turnaround plan for SCCL.

With the Union Coal Ministry holding a stake in SCCL's governance, the minister's public intervention may also foreshadow formal Centre-level scrutiny of the company's books and management practices. The situation at KTPP and across the Singareni belt will remain a key political flashpoint in Telangana in the months ahead.