Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court has passed two judgements in favour of Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited, reinforcing the values of accountability, discipline and equitable use of resources on April 01, 2026. The ruling sends a strong and unambiguous message against unauthorized occupation of company quarters after retirement and reinforces accountability in the use of public resources.
ECL has welcomed the firm and unequivocal judgment delivered by the Calcutta High Court on 01 April 2026 in WPA 6050 of 2026 and WPA 6053 of 2026, in the matters of Eastern Coalfields Limited vs Union of India & Others.
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The Hon’ble Court’s judgment is in consonance with CIL’s Circular Reference No. CIL:D(P&IR):SECH:005:144:133 dated 11th November, 2021, whereby Coal India Limited directed all its subsidiaries, including ECL, to take necessary measures to ensure timely vacation of company quarters after retirement.
Through the above judgement, the Hon’ble Court set aside earlier orders and upheld ECL’s position that dues arising from unauthorized occupation of company accommodation are Government dues and can be lawfully adjusted against the retiral benefits of the concerned employee, including gratuity.
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ECL had taken a difficult but necessary stand in withholding gratuity in a case where ex-employees of Poniati Workshop and Satgram-Sripur Area Office continued to occupy company-provided accommodation after retirement despite repeated notices. The Hon’ble Court categorically upheld the company’s right to recover dues, observing that penal rent constitutes Government dues.
The Court further directed that the deposited amount of gratuity at the Controlling Authority (ALC, Asansol) i.e. Rs.18,99,752/- in one case and Rs.20,00,000/- in another case be returned to ECL, granting the company, the liberty to deduct rent due along with penal rent from the total gratuity payable until the concerned ex-employees vacates the company’s accommodation, which continues to be under unauthorized occupation.
Additionally, the High Court directed that upon vacating the accommodation, all the pending dues (to be recovered from ex-employees) shall be deducted from the gratuity, and the remaining balance, if any, must be released to the concerned ex-employees within 15 days thereafter.
The Hon’ble Court made a significant observation that if such unauthorized conduct is tolerated or indulged, it would encourage others to act in a similar manner, leading to a situation where quarters cannot be provided to employees who are in service and entitled to such facilities. This observation underscores the broader institutional impact of such actions and reinforces the necessity of maintaining discipline and fairness in allocation of limited housing resources of the company.
This judgment is not merely about two cases—it reflects a larger commitment to safeguarding the rights of thousands of employees working under challenging mining conditions. Each company quarter represents a home for a serving employee and their family, and unauthorized occupation beyond retirement directly affects those awaiting such essential facilities.
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