SCCL Denies Allegations of Coal Theft, Says Monitoring Systems Ensure Full Transparency
Hyderabad, June 21(TNT): The Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) on Sunday dismissed reports carried by certain media organisations alleging that Singareni coal had been stolen or had gone missing, asserting that there was “absolutely no truth” in such claims.
In a statement, SCCL said all processes related to coal production, stock maintenance, transportation and sales are being carried out transparently under the supervision of advanced technological systems.
The state-owned mining company explained that robust monitoring and security mechanisms are in place across its operations to track coal from production to delivery.
Senior officials from the Operations Department said every stage of coal movement, from extraction in mines to supply to end consumers, is digitally recorded and monitored. Around 85 per cent of coal is transported through railways, while the remaining 15 per cent is supplied by road.
Coal allocations are processed through an integrated SAP-based system, with details including the consumer, mine, quantity and supply schedule recorded digitally in advance. Information relating to every tonne of coal is continuously tracked through Coal Net, SAP and other online monitoring platforms, officials said.
According to Planning Department officials, all vehicles transporting coal by road are weighed using electronic weighbridges. Vehicle movements are monitored in real time through Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)-based boom barriers, GPS/GPRS tracking systems and geo-fencing technology.
Any deviation from designated transportation routes is immediately detected and flagged by the monitoring system, they added.
Officials from the Coal Transportation Department said loading and dispatch details of every railway wagon are also digitally recorded.
Round-the-clock surveillance is maintained at mines, Coal Handling Plants (CHPs), weighbridges, railway sidings, stockyards and entry-exit points through CCTV cameras, RFID systems, check-posts, flying squads and security personnel.
They further stated that surprise inspections and special security patrols are conducted regularly to prevent any irregularities.
The SCCL management said coal production and transportation operations are safeguarded through a multi-layered security framework comprising RFID, GPS tracking, CCTV surveillance, Coal Net, electronic weighbridges, Singareni Security personnel, flying squads, hologram challans and task force monitoring systems.
“In view of these comprehensive monitoring arrangements, allegations that coal has been stolen or has gone missing are completely baseless and far removed from the facts,” the management said.
TNT TS
