The Singareni Collieries Company Limited proposed to mechanise the new underground mines coming up soon while introducing machines in the existing ones. The SCCL encouraged open-cast mines by discouraging underground mines because productivity would be more in the former than the latter. But environmental problems, public opposition and hardships in acquiring land for the open-cast mines made the SCCL change the idea. The officials faced difficulty in getting clearance from the forest department for the open-cast mines and farmers moved the court and resorted to an agitation against the acquisition of their land. Hundreds of acres of land is needed to start open-cast mines and the land needed for underground mines is very little when compared to the former. An official source told this correspondent, "We decided to go for underground mines by mechanising them along with the open-cast mines." In this backdrop, some of the underground mines in Singareni registered better performance in coal production after their mechanisation. For example, some underground mines such as five incline in Kothagudem and S Pit in Yellandu witnessed progress. There are around 44 underground mines along with 11 open-cast mines. The company wanted to go for mechanisation in the deep-cut underground mines. The company bought BG Panels worth Rs 80 crore and placed them in some underground mines. Experts at a meeting held in Kothagudem on safety measures in underground mines observed that the management should give equal priority to safety and production. Hence, the company wanted to mechanise the remaining underground mines. The SCCL chairman and managing director, Mr S. Narasinga Rao said, "Underground mines are also useful to the company and we plan to execute safety measures in these mines." The director general of mines safety, Mr S.J. Sibal, said that the company is implementing adequate safety measures in the underground mines when compared to the other coal companies. "No untoward incidents were reported in these mines as special safety measures were taken," he added. The director of personnel, Mr L. Sasidhar, director of finance, Mr E.V. Krishna Reddy, director planning, Mr J.V. Dattatreyudu and director of projects and planning, Mr I.V.N. Prasada Rao were present.