Cancel Naini block tender, Bhatti directs Singareni

Hyderabad: Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Sunday announced that he has directed Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) to cancel the mining tender for the Naini coal block, following allegations of his involvement in the tender process. He told a news conference that he has instructed SCCL to go for fresh tenders as per the conditions laid down by the Centre for public sector undertakings.

He said the company management told him how they can be blamed when they have just called the tender and no one has participated. Reacting strongly to allegations against him, he said that he was not afraid of ‘fabricated stories’. He said he did not enter politics to create assets or expand business empires and claimed that his aim is to protect the State's assets and soul and pass them on to future generations.

The Deputy Chief Minister, who handles the portfolios of Energy and Finance, refuted the report carried by a Telugu television channel and a newspaper and alleged that a ‘concocted’ story was published to mislead the people of Telangana.