In an announcement that will bring cheer to workers of Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL), Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao declared a bonus of ₹1,00,899 for each of them. It is ₹40,530 more than that paid last year.
Making a statement in the Assembly after the Question Hour here on Thursday, the Chief Minister said that in 2018-19, the coal production went up to a record level of 64.41 million tonnes and the company registered a record maximum profit of ₹1,765 crore. The bonus was paid at 28 % of profit share, which is 1% more than that of 2017-18. “This is the State government’s Dussehra festival gift to the workers and employees,” he said.
The State government increased the percentage of profit share to 28% from last year’s 27%. The company’s progress in coal production, transport, sales, profits, increase in turnover, all stood as a symbol of the Telangana State government’s effective and good governance. “It is a proud moment for all of us, as the SCCL fared better than Coal India in almost all parameters related to coal management in the country,” he said.
Under the combined State in 2013-14, each SCCL worker was given a meagre amount of ₹13,540 as the bonus. The government had been increasing the bonus since then gradually and in 2017-18, each worker was paid ₹60,369 at 27% share in the company’s profits.
In 2013-14, the coal production at SCCL was 50.47 million tonnes and in the last five years, the production increased every year and, in 2018-19, it was at a record level. The company earned ₹418 crore profit in 2013-14 and in the last five years, the profit went up every year, he said.
The Chief Minister said the public sector SCCL was playing a crucial and key role in the development of the State. The company had been strengthened institutionally with the support of the government. The joint efforts and responsibility of the management and workers contributed to the company’s success and created good working conditions and helped in achieving record level production.
Lauding the contribution of the workers in creating national wealth by extracting coal day in and day out, often coming out of the jaws of death, Mr. Rao said it was in no way inferior to the sacrifices of army personnel fighting the borders.
