Coal Pensioners’ Association urge PM Modi to increase pensions

Hyderabad: The All India Coal Pensioners’ Association has urged the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi to constitute a high-power committee on the issue of review and revision under CMPS-1998 while including its representatives. The association in a letter to the Prime Minister sought to reiterate that pension can be increased without any budgetary support from the […]

Hyderabad: The All India Coal Pensioners’ Association has urged the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi to constitute a high-power committee on the issue of review and revision under CMPS-1998 while including its representatives.

The association in a letter to the Prime Minister sought to reiterate that pension can be increased without any budgetary support from the central government and meeting the same from the coal production companies by levying a small amount on selling price on account of pension fund as being done by some of the electricity producing and distribution companies.

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Seeking revision and increase in the pension of the coal pensioners, the coal pensioners from across the country have decided to stage relay dharna at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi from July 25.

In its letter, the association pointed out that a contributory pension scheme called CMPS-1998 was introduced for retired employees in coal sector by BJP led NDA government in 1998. It was claimed as a revolutionary measure by the government for providing robust social security to coal employees and workers.

However, the retired employees of Coal India, Singareni Collieries Company Limited and some other private companies have been striving for the last several years to bring the problems being faced by them to the notice of the competent departments.

“In the past, members of our sister organization AIACE and AICPA, have been approaching government and CMPFO authorities for review and revision of pension,” said the association convenor, PK Singh Rathor.

CMPS-1998 is being operated by the Coal Mines Provident Fund Organisation (CMPFO). In this, the pension amount payable on retirement remains constant throughout the life. Due to various irregularities, it has not been amended for the last 24 years, despite a provision to review and revise the pension after every three years.

Today many coal pensioners/their widows are getting less than Rs 500 to Rs 1000 as monthly pension, whereas, under government schemes for older people, the amount is more than this.

Due to financial mismanagement and inherent faulty concepts of the scheme, the pension fund, created out of contribution by coal employees/workers, got depleted gradually. “It is a bitter truth that, due to the past decisions of the departments concerned and the present indecisions, the rhetoric of pension increase is taking lives of many elderly pensioners every year,” he said.