The Telangana government has directed Singareni Collieries Company Ltd. to resolve 250 to 300 pending dependent employment cases within 15 days and issue appointment orders to eligible beneficiaries, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said after a review meeting on worker welfare and development in the coal belt.
The meeting also addressed 136 pending cases involving changes to the names of dependants. Vikramarka instructed officials to adopt a humanitarian approach while deciding these cases, based on recommendations from the Singareni Officers’ Committee. The decisions cover employment, medical procedures, housing, healthcare and civic infrastructure serving Singareni workers and their families.
To simplify the medical invalidation process, the deputy chief minister ordered monthly medical board meetings at all Singareni area hospitals. Workers will no longer need to travel to Kothagudem for these proceedings, according to the report. He also directed authorities to provide a one-time opportunity for reinstatement to employees dismissed during the Covid-19 period or because of local circumstances.
Housing was another focus of the review. Officials were asked to expedite the distribution of house-site pattas to eligible beneficiaries on the remaining 1,250 acres of land returned by Singareni to the revenue department. The government also proposed establishing Nehru Housing Colonies for workers by identifying unused Singareni land and developing it into residential layouts.
The government plans to replace dilapidated D-Type quarters with modern housing units equipped with essential facilities. Officials were additionally directed to modernise Singareni colonies by improving drainage, sanitation, electrification, drinking water supply and sewage infrastructure. These measures target the basic services that determine living conditions in settlements built around mining and industrial employment.
The review also included plans to upgrade Singareni hospitals to corporate-hospital standards by improving infrastructure, attracting specialist doctors and introducing advanced services such as cardiac care and catheterisation laboratories. Free cancer screening camps will be organised in villages across Singareni areas because of concerns about health risks associated with mining activities, the report said.
Other decisions included solarising government schools, colleges, hospitals and public buildings in the region, installing reverse-osmosis water plants in government schools and distributing worker safety kits every six months. The deputy chief minister also approved an agricultural research station in Bhupalpally and directed that corporate social responsibility funds be used for government junior colleges.
The government gave in-principle clearance for a Singareni thermal power plant at Ramagundam. The reported decisions therefore extend beyond employment relief to the physical and institutional infrastructure of the coal belt, with implementation timelines now set for the pending job cases and monthly medical board process.
