PV Satyanarayana Kothagudem

Fivemines operated by The Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) have secured the prestigious 5-Star Rating under the Ministry of Coal’s National Coal Mine Rating Programme, registering the company’s highest-ever performance in the national assessment.

The Ministry of Coal has recognised RK Newtech and RK-6 mines in the Srirampur Area, JVR OC-II in the Sathupalli Area, Khairiguda Open Cast in the Bellampalli Area, and RG OC-I in the Ramagundam-III Area as 5-Star rated mines for the assessment year 2024-25.

Of the 382 coal mines that participated in the nationwide evaluation, only 50 mines achieved the coveted 5-Star rating, with SCCL accounting for five of them. The achievement surpasses the company’s previous best of four 5-Star mines recorded last year, making it the strongest performance in its history.

The annual rating exercise, conducted by the Ministry of Coal through the Coal Controller Organisation (CCO), evaluates mines across seven categories encompassing 50 performance parameters. These include scientific mining practices, adoption of advanced mining technology, mine safety, environmental management, employee welfare, occupational health, financial performance, and development of mine-affected communities.

Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Energy Bhatti Vikramarka congratulated the management, officers, employees and workers of the award-winning mines, describing the recognition as a reflection of SCCL’s commitment to operational excellence, mine safety, employee welfare and environmental stewardship. He urged other mines in the company to adopt similar best practices and expressed confidence that more Singareni mines would achieve 5-Star status in the coming years.

In addition to the five top-rated mines, 17 other SCCL mines received the 4-Star Rating after scoring between 80 and 90 per cent, reflecting a consistently high standard of performance across the company’s mining operations.

SCCL officials said the national recognition underscores the company’s sustained focus on safe, efficient and environmentally responsible coal production while contributing to the country’s energy security.