The Hindu : Coal output `improves'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 01, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Coal output `improves'

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD Jan. 31. Coal production in Singareni Collieries on Thursday touched a high of 86,256 tonnes today, the tenth day of the indefinite strike by the miners.

A press release issued by the SCCL management said that 73,203 tonnes of coal was transported. It added that the CMD of the Company, R. H. Khawja, would participate in a `dial your chairman' programme (040-55825096) from 11 am to 12 noon on February 2 to clear the apprehensions of the striking workers and explain the facilities being made available to them.

The Energy Minister, K. Subbarayudu, said the output in the open cast mines had been stepped up in spite of meagre attendance of 25 per cent. He was speaking to The Hindu after participating in a meeting convened by the the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, to review the situation. The Minister for Roads & Buildings, T. Nageswara Rao, and Mr. Khwaja also participated.

Mr. Subbarayudu reiterated his appeal to the striking unions to end their agitation, and assured that the Government would not privatise the collieries as feared by the workers. Promising job security to the miners, he said more employment avenues would be created once the 20 new underground and opencast mines were opened for exploitation.

The Minister said there was no basis for the apprehensions that deployment of a surface miner in Koyyagudem mines would lead to a cut in jobs.

Coal India had been using 11 such machines since 1999 without any objections from the Left unions which were leading the agitation here. Moreover, the Government had offered to reduce the contract period from 21 to 10 months, he added.

Describing the strike as `unnecessary', he said the workers would be the worst sufferers as they would lose wages for the strike period.

He denied that leaders Singareni Samrakshana Samithi and some MLAs were taken into custody today at the Government's behest. They were arrested after assessment of the local situation by the police.

Meanwhile, six trade unions have threatened to hold demonstrations and dharnas throughout the State. The unions include CITU, INTUC, AITUC, HMS, BMS and IFTU.

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