SCCL neglecting coal mine workers: BMS

Karimnagar: Singareni Coal Mine Workers Unions of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) president K Mallaiah alleged that Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) management is treating coal mine workers as production machines and not taking any steps to improve their financial status.

A gate meeting was held under the leadership of union vice-president P Ravi at RG-1 of SCCL in Ramagundam of Peddapalli district on Wednesday.

Mallaiah, the chief guest at the meeting, said workers are spending their entire life for the growth of the SCCL and sacrificing their lives but the management is least bothered about the workers' development. After spending their salary along with their retirement benefits for fulfilling the basic needs of their children, the workers were hardly left with any money, even to purchase medicines in the last stages of their life. Instead of improving their financial status, the management is cutting three months' salary in the name of Income Tax, he criticised.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao compared coal mine workers with soldiers but did nothing for their welfare in practical. The State government is spending crore of rupees for political mileage but not spending even a single rupee for the welfare of coal mine workers, who are digging coal by converting their blood into sweat, he lamented.

Mallaiah demanded that the government must spend at least Rs 250 crore out of the Rs 3,800 crore, allotted by SCCL to the State government, for Singareni workers as reimbursement to do economical justice to them. He also demanded SCCL management to construct house for all coal mine workers as a retirement gift so that they would not face any problems further.

Division secretary K Mahesh, D Venkat Swamy, M Ramakanth, Yadagiri, Sattaiah, Y Sarangapani, B Rajashekar, Moham Ramesh, Prasad and Gattaiah were present along with others.