Former Minister and senior Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader, T. Harish Rao, claimed that the State was witnessing “open sharing of commissions” in Singareni tenders and said more “shocking revelations” would be made soon.Introduction of a ‘site visit certificate’ system, Mr. Rao alleged, was a “massive scam” in Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) tenders. “Such a site visit procedure does not exist anywhere in the country, including Coal India and Western Coalfields, and was introduced only after the Revanth Reddy government assumed office in 2024,” he said at a press conference in Hyderabad.Referring to the cancellation of tenders in the Naini coal block, he said Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka had justified the allegations and wanted to know why tenders were not cancelled in other coal blocks where similar conditions were placed.According to him, after the introduction of this system, six Singareni tenders were awarded at ‘plus 7 to plus 10%’ rates to favoured contractors. The BRS leader said that in coal mining tenders across the country, bids normally go at minus 10% to minus 22%.Demanding a probe, Mr. Rao challenged the Chief Minister to permit a CBI investigation if he had nothing to hide and appealed to Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy to order such an inquiry. He also said the BRS would approach courts over what he termed the “Congress coal scam.”He further alleged that tenders awarded during the BRS regime through a competitive process were cancelled and reissued at higher rates to favoured contractors. Citing specific instances, he said tenders earlier finalised at minus 7% were reissued at plus 7%.He also alleged that the differences between the Chief Minister, the Deputy Chief Minister and another senior minister had resulted in IAS officers and journalists becoming “scapegoats”.Published - January 19, 2026 02:29 pm IST