Coal pensioners to pressurise Centre for restructuring coal mines pension scheme

Hyderabad: Coal pensioners across the country will stage a dharna on October 10, Monday in front of the CMPF Office, Dhanbad and all Regional Offices of CMPF to press their demand of review and revision by the Centre of pension under the Coal Mines Pension Scheme (CMPS), 1998. According to K Singh Rathor, Convenor, All […]

Hyderabad: Coal pensioners across the country will stage a dharna on October 10, Monday in front of the CMPF Office, Dhanbad and all Regional Offices of CMPF to press their demand of review and revision by the Centre of pension under the Coal Mines Pension Scheme (CMPS), 1998.

According to K Singh Rathor, Convenor, All India Coal Pensioners Association (AICPA), coal pensioners across the country would stage a dharna from 10 AM to 1 PM. A memorandum of demands would be submitted to Commissioner, CMPF and Regional Commissioners after the dharna.

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The main demands are speedy implementation on suggestions contained in the 12th Report of Public Accounts Committee for Restructuring of Coal Mines Pension Scheme (Presented in Parliament on 18th March, 2020); Incorporate Dearness Relief (DR) component as a part of pension to ensure equitable pension irrespective of retirement date; Hasten the process of compulsory collection of cess of Rs 20 per tonne, with provisions for enhancement of cess every 3 years, from all government and private coal companies; and abide by the provisions enacted in CMPS-1998 to review and revise pension every 3 years.

The demands will also include ensuring Minimum Pension to the pensioner in line with government policy and launch of simplified process of starting widow/widower pension at Bank level.

The dharna will be staged at Kothagudem, Ramagundam, Nagpur, Bilaspur, Talcher, Kolkata, Asansol, Ranchi, Dhanbad, Deoghar, Jabalpur, Chhindwara and other places, Rathor said in a press release.

Singareni Retired Employees Welfare Association, Hyderabad, president D Ramchander Rao has requested coal pensioners across Telangana to participate in the dharna nearby to their locations, which would be Godavarikhani and Kothagudem where CMPF offices (Coal Mines Provident Fund) are located, to pressurise the Union Ministry of Coal for enhancement of pension.