• Gadkari has said that some of the pensioners are barely getting a pension of Rs 1,000 per month
• The representation is self-explanatory and provides details of their grievance that in the absence of revision many pensioners are getting same amount as pension from the last 23 years, Gadkari has told Joshi

New Delhi: The plight of coal sector pensioners who have retired from state-run coal companies has attracted the attention of Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, who has written a letter to Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi and has sought his intervention in the matter. Gadkari has said that some of the pensioners are barely getting a pension of Rs 1,000 per month. Coal workers' have been demanding an increase in their pension that has not been revised for the last 23 years.

"All India Association of Coal Executives (AIACE), Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh has submitted me a representation regarding a revision and increment of pension provided to coal sector pensioners. The representation is self-explanatory and provides details of their grievance that in the absence of revision many pensioners are getting same amount as pension from the last 23 years," Gadkari has told Joshi in his letter dated May 30.

"Some of them are getting merely Rs 1,000 as pension as claimed in the representation," the letter said.

Coal sector pensioners: Gadkari asks Joshi to look into matter

"They are following the matter of revision and increase of pension with many authorities but could not succeed so far. You are requested to have the matter looked and examined into and provide best possible relief to the pensioners as per rules with due verification," Gadkari said.

The AIACE is an association of serving and retired executives of state-owned Coal India Ltd (CIL) and Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL). They have made several representations to MPs and state-level polical leaders to highlight the plight of coal sector pensioners. Pension of CIL and SCCL retirees has not been reviewed since 1998 even though the Coal Mine Pension Scheme (CMPS) has the provision of review every three years. Coal sector employees and executives are covered under CMPS, 1998 which is effective from April 1, 1994.

Pension once fixed at the time of retirement has never been increased since inception, the AIACE said.

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