The Telangana government on Thursday urged the Centre to allocate all the coal blocks located near Singareni Collieries to the state-run mining company without going through the auction process.

Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said the state government would meet Union Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy, who is also the BJP state chief, with the request.

There are also plans to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi with an all-party delegation, he added. Coal production is now going on in about 40 mines, and about 22 coal mines will have to be closed down by 2032-33 as coal would be exhausted there, he said. There are estimates that the coal production would fall to 17.28 million tons by 2060 from the 70 million tons at present, he added. Singareni has to acquire new coal mines in the interest of its future, he said.

Vikramarka’s comments urging allotment to Singareni came a day ahead of the launch of auction of the coal mines to be held by the Centre here on June 21 for commercial mining. The Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) is jointly owned by the Government of Telangana and Government of India on a 51:49 equity basis. Vikramarka, who spoke to reporters at Khammam, said that soon after the Congress government assumed office in December last year, he met then Union Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi with the request that all the coal blocks neighbouring Singareni be alloted to the state-run mining firm without auction. The SCCL, a major PSU firm in Telangana, employs 42,000 people directly, another 26,000 through outsourcing and also provides livelihood opportunities to 50,000 people, he said.

The SCCL is also a major source of revenue, he pointed out. The BJP says “it has got lot of love for Telangana” and Kishan Reddy, who belongs to the state, has now become the Coal and Mines Minister, he said. “We will meet Kishan Reddy ji on behalf of Singareni. We will appeal to him not to include all the coal blocks in Godavari catchment area in Singareni area in the auction, and as per MMDR Act, to give exemption and allot (to Singareni) because it is a public sector entity,” he said.

The government would also urge Kishan Reddy to take PM Modi’s appointment and meet him along with representatives of all parties in the state, he said. “We appeal to him to protect Telangana’s assets and protect Singareni,” Vikramarka said.