Hyderabad: Coal pensioners across the country will stage a dharna in front of the Coal Mines Provident Fund Organisation (CMPF) Office, Dhanbad and all Regional Offices of CMPF on October 10, Monday to intensify their demand for review and revision of pension under the Coal Mines Pension Scheme (CMPS), 1998 towards the Centre.
According to K Singh Rathor, Convenor, All India Coal Pensioners Association (AICPA), the nationwide protest by the coal pensioners will be held between 10 am to 1 pm. A memorandum of demands would be submitted to Commissioner, CMPF and Regional Commissioners post the dharna.
The underlined demands by the pensioners were:
1. Speedy implementation of suggestions contained in the 12th Report of the Public Accounts Committee for Restructuring of Coal Mines Pension Scheme (Presented in Parliament on 18 March 2020)
2. Incorporate Dearness Relief (DR) component as a part of the pension to ensure equitable pension irrespective of retirement date
3. 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
4. Abide by the provisions enacted in CMPS-1998 to review and revise pension every 3 years
Ensuring Minimum Pension for the pensioner in line with government policy and launching the simplified process of starting widow/widower pension at the Bank level, were added to the list of their demands.
K Singh Rathore also informed in a press release that the dharna will be staged at Kothagudem, Ramagundam, Nagpur, Bilaspur, Talcher, Kolkata, Asansol, Ranchi, Dhanbad, Deoghar, Jabalpur, Chhindwara and other places.
D Ramchander Rao, the president of the Retired Employees Welfare Association, Hyderabad, has requested coal pensioners across Telangana to participate in the dharna close to their locations, which would be Godavarikhani and Kothagudem where CMPF offices (Coal Mines Provident Fund) are located, to urge the Union Ministry of Coal to increase their pension.
