The Telangana government has announced an average profit-sharing payment of ₹1,53,912 for each permanent Singareni Collieries Company Limited employee, alongside a ₹5,500 bonus for every contract worker, while directing the company to accelerate housing and welfare measures across its mining areas.
Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Bhatti Vikramarka announced the decision at a media conference at Praja Bhavan, attended by IT and Industries Minister Duddilla Sridhar Babu. The payment will benefit 38,737 permanent employees, while 29,717 contract workers will receive the bonus. The government said 34 per cent of Singareni’s profits would be distributed among workers.
Singareni recorded a net profit of ₹1,754 crore this year, of which ₹596 crore has been earmarked as the workers’ profit share. Bhatti said the government was continuing the practice followed in previous years and was committed to the welfare of both permanent and contract workers. The contract-worker bonus remains unchanged from last year at ₹5,500.
The announcement also places worker housing at the centre of the government’s welfare agenda. Bhatti said officials had been asked to identify Singareni land where mining had not yet begun and prepare suitable layouts for housing. He also directed them to formulate a plan for a housing colony named after former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
The government said 5,774 acres previously returned by Singareni to the Revenue Department had been dealt with in stages. Of this, 4,500 acres were distributed as house-site pattas to poor households during the previous Congress government under the late Chief Minister Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy. Singareni management has now been directed to expedite the issue of house-site pattas for eligible beneficiaries for the remaining approximately 1,250 acres under Government Order No. 76.
The measures extend beyond housing. Officials have been instructed to complete formalities for approximately 250–300 pending dependent employment cases within 15 days and issue appointment orders to eligible candidates. Another 136–170 cases involving changes in workers’ names will be examined based on recommendations from a committee constituted by Singareni officials.
To reduce travel for workers seeking medical invalidation, the company has been directed to hold medical board meetings on designated days every month at area hospitals across Singareni’s jurisdiction. Workers will no longer need to travel to Kothagudem for the process, according to the announcement. Officials have also been asked to examine a one-time option for reinstating workers who lost their jobs after being unable to attend duty during the Covid-19 pandemic or because of other local circumstances.
The government has directed Singareni to distribute safety kits every six months and ensure that workplace safety is not compromised. It has also asked the company to examine paying income tax on workers’ perks and allowances to the government, in line with the arrangement applicable to Singareni employees.
For occupied residential areas, a committee of Singareni officials and the district collector will prepare a preliminary list of residents. After consultations with local MLAs, a comprehensive list of eligible beneficiaries is expected to be completed within one month. The government has also announced plans to upgrade Singareni’s area hospitals to corporate-hospital standards.
