Delegation of AICPA And Singareni Retired Welfare Association Meet Khammam M.P. To Raise Their Issues With Central Government

On 18-11-2024, a delegation of AICPA and Singareni Retired Welfare Association called on Ramasahayam Raghuram Reddy Garu, Member of Parliament, Khammam Lok Sabha Constituency, (Telangana) and submitted a petition signed by Convenor of All India Coal Pensioners Association, PK Singh Rathore and President of Singareni Retired Welfare Association Dandamraj Ramchander Rao, Godavarthy Murali, as well as L. Y. Ismail, Former Secretary of TUC and members Naredla Satyanarayana, Waheed, and Srinivas.

The MP promptly responded and assured that he would intervene and support to enhance the pension rate. Also, he remarked that the Coal Miners throughout India have been subjected to undue tragedy due to negligence of concerned authorities.

Content of the letter is given below for the benefit of the viewers of www.indianpsu.com –

Letter No. 2024_AICPA_CENTRAL_Hyderabad_A_ Dated_18-11-2024

To
The Hon’ble Sri Ramasahayam Raghuram Reddy Garu
Member of Parliament,
Khammam Lok Sabha Constituency,
Telangana

Sub: Request to take up the issue of coal pensioners with the Minister of Coal so that their pension can be enhanced

Hon’ble Sir,

We represent the All India Coal Pensioners Association (AICPA), an association of serving and retired coal officers and employees of Coal India Limited and Singareni Collieries Company Limited. We work closely with our sister association, namely All India Association of Coal Executives (AICE), which comprises serving and retired officers belonging to CIL and SCCL and their widowed spouses as members.

These coal sector employees are covered under the pension scheme called CMPS-1998, and the fund management is done by CMPFO under the Ministry of Coal, Govt. of India. This CMPS-1998 scheme has been the subject of criticism and scrutiny, as is evident from the 12th Report No. 2193 of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) presented in Parliament on March 18, 2020.

(https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/809294/1/17_Public_Accounts_36.pdf)

The CMPS-1998 was notified on March 31, 1998, and the drawback of this scheme is that once the pension is fixed, it remains stagnant for years despite the provision for review of the scheme every three years and enhancement of pension.

It is to bring to your notice that many pensioners are getting less than Rs 1000 per month despite working in dirty environments for long hours to meet the energy needs of the country. Even the highest Board level and below Board level officials, who retired prior to 2007, are receiving meagre pensions, which are inadequate to lead a comfortable life. For Singareni Collieries Company Limited, the situation is even worse as the pensioners living outside the coalfield area are deprived of any medical benefits after retirement.

The present growth of the coal industry is mainly due to the conservation of coal reserves, which was carefully done by the same employees who are currently pensioners. CIL and SCCL are unable to help these retired employees, who are now pensioners, as they do not have the authority to handle and disburse pensions. It is a bitter truth that past decisions and present indecision have made the increase in pension for the pensioners a nightmare and a distant dream, as many elderly pensioners depart for heavenly abode every year. In view of these facts, we request your intervention in the matter so that the pension of these pensioners may be revised and increased by the concerned authorities without any further delay. We request to apprise Hon’ble Union Coal Minister to find an amicable solution to this complex issue.

Regards,

P K SINGH RATHOR

Convenor, AIACE/AICPA