Received from Shri A. Venu Madhav, Deputy General Secretary, Singareni Retired Employees Welfare Association-Hyderabad
Singareni Collieries Company Limited is a company famous for being the only coal industry in South India. Almost 135 years ago, a British geologist named William King explored coal mines in the village of Illandu in the erstwhile Khammam district, Telangana state. Coal mining is currently taking place in Bhadradri-Kothagudem, Peddapalli, Bhupalpalli, Mancherial and Asifabad districts. In 1886, “The Hyderabad (Deccan) Company Limited” in England acquired the right to mine coal mines and was incorporated as a public company limited under the Hyderabad Companies Act on 23 December 1920 under the name “The Singareni Collieries Company Limited” and became the first public sector company in India under the Companies Act of 1956. At present, it continues to produce 70 million tons of coal with 19 underground mines and 21 open cast mines, and efforts are underway to extract coal in the Naini block in the state of Orissa.
The company, which had about one lakh twenty thousand workers in 1989, today operates with only forty thousand workers. It is famous for distributing profit share to workers every year, unlike any other company in the country. The efforts of communist labor leader K.L. Mahendra are very great. It should not be forgotten that in 1992, when the company was in losses and under BIFR and it was about to close, it was the workers who worked hard and made it possible for them to move on to the path of profit.
The management, which provided free housing, free electricity, free cooking gas, free education and free medical care to the workers while working in the company, has shown no mercy and compassion towards those who have to rely on the very low pension available under the Coal Mines Pension Scheme-1998 after they retire. The retired workers are expressing their grief that there is no famine allowance for this pension. Twenty-two thousand retired workers of Singareni are suffering from poverty, hunger and various diseases. The lives of retired workers who worked in coal mines against nature and gave light to the country are being plunged into darkness.
Some workers who have joined the Contributory Post Retirement Medicare Scheme by paying Rs 40,000 are being treated in empanelled corporate hospitals. Even that does not include all types of medical services. If they want to take their monthly BP, sugar medicines, they have to go to Singareni hospitals where they have worked and settled, which is a difficult matter for those who have settled in distant areas. If workers living in the coal mining areas seek treatment in emergency situations, their medical card balance is being deducted. The welfare schemes introduced by the central and state governments are not applicable to them, as they rely solely on pension. White ration card and old age pension are not available.
Every year on December 23, Singareni Formation Day is celebrated in all mines and offices and the best workers and officials are honoured. But it is sad that retired employees are not honoured. In some central government oil companies, retired workers are provided with financial assistance of Rs. 70,000 for those who have completed 70 years of age, Rs. 90,000 for those who have completed 75 years of age, and Rs. 2,50,000 for those who have completed 100 years of age. Similarly, it is requested that Singareni retired workers be recognized for their sacrifices and honoured on Singareni Formation Day and provided with financial assistance. Unable to lose their affection for their parent company, and despite the management looking down on them, they have formed their own Singareni Retired Workers Welfare Associations and honoured the elderly retired workers on “Singareni Day”, which is a source of pride.
From
A.Venu Madhav
Deputy General Secretary
Singareni Retired Employees Welfare Association-Hyderabad