Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Wednesday, 8 July pressed the Centre to allocate every coal block in the Godavari basin directly to public-sector miner Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), bypassing the auction route. Addressing a press conference in Hyderabad, Vikramarka accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central government of failing to honour its commitments to the state-owned coal major.

Key Demands on Coal Block Allocation

Vikramarka urged the Centre to restore SCCL's status as a Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU), a designation that was reportedly scrapped after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) assumed power. He argued that since SCCL operates under a 51:49 shareholding structure between the Telangana state government and the Centre respectively, all Godavari basin blocks should be assigned directly to it as a government-to-government transaction rather than auctioned to private bidders.

'This is a government to government transaction as Singareni is a joint firm with 51:49 shareholding by the state and Central governments respectively,' he said, urging the Centre not to give 'step motherly treatment' to the public sector coal major.

Dispute Over Tadicherla-II Block

While acknowledging the Centre's decision to grant a mining licence for the Tadicherla-II block to SCCL, Vikramarka pushed back sharply against Union Coal Minister G. Kishan Reddy's framing of the move. He clarified that the Tadicherla-II block was originally allotted to SCCL in 2013 by the then United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, and that the recent approval was merely a mining lease — not a fresh allocation as Kishan Reddy had claimed.

Vikramarka alleged that the NDA government had deliberately delayed granting the mining lease for years despite repeated representations from the state. He credited persistent lobbying by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and himself for finally securing the lease.

BRS Government in the Crosshairs

The Deputy Chief Minister also trained his fire on the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS)-led administration, alleging it had prevented SCCL from participating in coal block auctions — a decision he said cost the company the Koyagudem and Sattupalli blocks. He further alleged that the BRS government's failure to clear pending dues to SCCL during its close to 10-year tenure left the company financially strained, and said the current Congress government was working to clear those arrears and revive operations.

Peddapalli MP Claims Credit for Tadicherla Allocation

Separately, Peddapalli Member of Parliament Gaddam Vamsi Krishna asserted that his sustained campaign in Parliament and with the Central government was the decisive factor behind the Tadicherla Coal Block-2 allocation. He said he had written to Coal Minister Kishan Reddy on 3 February 2026 requesting the allocation, followed it up with multiple meetings, and raised the issue in Parliament on several occasions.

The Tadicherla-II block holds estimated reserves of around 182 million tonnes and is expected to significantly boost coal production and generate substantial direct and indirect employment in the region. 'This is not merely a coal block allocation... it is a victory for the struggle of Singareni workers and an acknowledgment of the aspirations of the people of Telangana,' Vamsi Krishna said.

What Happens Next

The political standoff over SCCL's future — pitting Telangana's ruling Congress against the BJP-led Centre — is set to intensify as the state government formally pursues restoration of CPSU status and direct allocation of remaining Godavari basin blocks. The outcome will have significant implications for coal production capacity, employment in the mining belt, and Telangana's energy security in the years ahead.