Coal PSU pensioners still not being paid minimum pension: AICPA tells govt

New Delhi: The All India Coal Pensioners’ Association (AICPA) and All India Association of Coal Executives (AIACE) have written a letter to the Coal Secretary, flagging the delay in the payment of minimum pension of Rs 1,000/month to coal PSU pensioners. They said that the delay is despite an amendment that was notified by the government in this regard in March this year. “Though, the govt is taking time to understand the misery of coal pensioners, it has issued a Gazette notification No. G.S.R.165(E) dated 06 March, 2024 for enhancement of minimum pension payable under Coal Mines Pension Scheme-1998,” the letter dated June 29 said.

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“Subsequently, citing the above Gazette notification, CMPF Commissioner, vide Ref no. CMPFO/CP/116(7)/Gazette Notification/Vol-IV/99 dated 12-March, 2024, wrote to Chairman, CIL; CMD, SCCL with copies to other concerned persons/organizations/departments, for information and wider circulation regarding payment of enhanced pension @Rs1000/month,” said the two bodies that represent pensioners and executives in coal PSUs.

“It is regretted that even after lapse of 3 months, the benefit of crediting this minimum pension of Rs 1,000 has not yet started. Many of such affected pensioners have brought to our knowledge that increased pension amount @Rs1000/ has not been credited in their account,” said PK Singh Rathor, convenor of AIACE and AICPA.

CMPFO has misinterpreted the gazette notification: Rathor

In the letter, Rathor said that the Coal Mines Provident Fund Organisation (CMPFO) has failed to interpret and correlate the amended provisions in the Gazette Notification which has decreed that the minimum pension cannot be less than Rs 1,000/month. “Under the circumstances, it is requested for needful actions so that all pensioners start receiving minimum pension with immediate effect,” the letter said.

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