Telangana Dy CM Orders Cancellation of Naini Coal Block Tender, Rejects Allegations as Fabricated

Hyderabad, Jan 2026 : Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Sunday announced that he has directed Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) to cancel the mining tender issued for the Naini coal block, amid allegations linking him to the tender process. Addressing a press conference in Hyderabad, the Deputy Chief Minister said that he has instructed the Singareni management to invite fresh tenders strictly in accordance with the guidelines prescribed by the Union government for public sector undertakings.

Vikramarka, who holds the key portfolios of Energy and Finance, clarified that the decision was taken to ensure complete transparency and to dispel any doubts arising from what he described as “baseless and fabricated allegations.” He said the SCCL management had informed him that the tender process had only been initiated and that no bidder had even participated, raising questions about how allegations could be made at such an early stage.

Reacting sharply to reports carried by a Telugu television channel and a newspaper, the Deputy Chief Minister categorically denied any role in awarding the contract for the Naini coal block to any private entity. He alleged that a “concocted story” was deliberately circulated to mislead the people of Telangana and tarnish his image.

“I am not afraid of fabricated stories. I did not enter politics to accumulate assets or build business empires,” Vikramarka said. “My purpose in public life is to protect the assets and soul of the State and ensure that they are safeguarded for future generations.”

The senior Congress leader asserted that Singareni Collieries follows its own tendering norms and procedures, and that ministers have no role in framing or altering tender rules. “Singareni decides the tender conditions. Even this basic fact was ignored while spinning false stories against me,” he said, accusing certain sections of the media of indulging in character assassination.

Vikramarka further alleged that the reports were driven by political motives and aimed at creating rifts among leaders. He suggested that some individuals may be targeting him due to lingering resentment connected to former Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, with whom he shared a close association. “Out of anger towards a late leader who served the State with commitment, they are trying to target those associated with him,” he remarked.

Emphasising his political philosophy, the Deputy Chief Minister said he entered public life with the sole aim of ensuring equitable distribution of resources and assets to all sections of society. He warned that no one has the right to malign individuals through unverified and misleading reports, and called for responsible journalism.

Singareni Collieries Company Limited, a joint public sector enterprise of the Telangana State and the Union government, began coal production at the Naini coal block in Odisha in April last year. The block was allocated to SCCL nearly a decade ago by the Ministry of Coal. Vikramarka himself had formally inaugurated coal production at Naini, marking a historic milestone as it was the first instance in Singareni’s 130-year history that it commenced mining operations outside Telangana.

Team Maverick.