HYDERABADDeputy Chief Minister M. Bhatti Vikramarka has proposed a joint venture with Karnataka in coal mining with a tie-up between Singareni Collieries Company Limited and Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL).Mr. Vikramarka put forward the proposal during a meeting with Karnataka Minister for Energy K.J. George as part of his visit to Bengaluru on Thursday. The joint venture has been proposed to mine coal in the captive mines of KPCL since SCCL has been into coal mining activity for more than a century and to ensure adequate coal availability the KPCL’s thermal plants in line with the growing demand for electricity.According to the Deputy Chief Minister’s office, the meeting covered a wide range of issues related to the progress of the energy sector in both the States, coal supplies, payments for coal purchases and technology exchange.Karnataka Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta, Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) Chairman and Managing Director Buddhaprakash Jyoti, KPCL Managing Director Rajendra Cholan, KPCL Finance Director Nagaraju, SCCL Executive Director (Coal Movement) B. Venkanna and others participated in the meeting.During the meeting, the Deputy Chief Minister suggested KPCL to explore the possibility of undertaking coal mining operations with SCCL jointly in the captive coal blocks allotted to KPCL in Chhattisgarh and Odisha, in view of Karnataka’s increasing power requirements. He stated that Singareni with nearly 137 years of experience in coal mining could undertake mining operations in the coal blocks secured by KPCL without any difficulty.Further, he stated that Singareni could also benefit from Karnataka’s extensive experience in the power sector for the operation of the power plants that Singareni proposes to undertake. He suggested that the possibility of establishing a joint venture between Singareni and KPCL, the two State-owned enterprises, should be studied with the objective of promoting mutual cooperation, development and expansion.The Karnataka Energy Minister responded positively to the proposal and said the rapid industrial growth in Karnataka had resulted in a substantial increase in energy demand. He requested Telangana to ensure a continuous supply of coal for the operation of thermal power projects in the State. The meeting also discussed the coal being supplied by Singareni to Karnataka.Mr. Vikramarka assured that efforts would be made to ensure coal supplies in accordance with the allocations made by the Union Ministry of Coal. He stated that Singareni currently supplies 10.54 million tonnes of coal annually to the generating stations in Karnataka through coal linkages including 5.24 million tonnes to the Yeramarus Thermal Power Plant, 3.01 million tonnes to the Raichur Thermal Power Plant and 2.29 million tonnes to Bellary Unit-3 Thermal Power Plant.He explained that coal was being supplied to Karnataka through at least four rakes every day. Published - August 27, 2026 08:52 pm IST