Various trade unions operating in the State’s coal belt region are gearing up for a fresh round of protests opposing the Centre’s reported decision to go ahead with the auction of four coal blocks in the State for “commercial mining.”
The AITUC affiliated Singareni Collieries Workers Union (SCWU) has called for a protest demonstration in front of the head office of the State-owned Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) in Kothagudem on February 21.
The SCWU has decided to hold a deeksha with 1000 members in the coal town in protest against the Centre’s decision to auction the four coal blocks - Kalyan Khani Block 6, Koyagudem Block III, Sathupalli Block III and Shravanpalli in Telangana.
The SCWU was one of the constituent trade unions of the JAC that organised a 72-hour strike in the SCCL’s coal mines from December 9 to 11 last year opposing the auction of four coal blocks and demanding allocation of the blocks to the government-owned SCCL.
The CITU affiliated Singareni Collieries Employees Union (SCEU), is also planning to organise demonstrations in the coal towns.
The TRS and its affiliated Telangana Boggu Gani Karmika Sangham (TBGKS) have called for deekshas across the State’s coal belt on February 9.
Speaking to mediapersons in Kothagudem on Tuesday, former MLA Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao alleged that the BJP-led dispensation at the Centre has intensified efforts to allow big corporate entities to plunder the country’s mineral wealth.
