Coal Employees’ Forum Demands ₹10,000 Minimum Pension, IDA and Better Healthcare for Coal Pensioners
The Coal Employees' Forum has urged the Union Ministry of Coal to immediately raise the minimum monthly pension to ₹10,000, introduce Industrial Dearness Allowance (IDA), and strengthen medical and social security benefits for retired coal workers covered under the Coal Mines Family Pension Scheme (CMPFS-1971) and the Coal Mines Pension Scheme (CMPS-1998).
Addressing a press conference at the Press Club of India, Coal Employees' Forum President Biman Mitra, Jt GS Mou Mukherjee, and General Secretary Chanchal Banerjee , Executive Committee Member Laxman Kalwala said the Forum is a non-political platform working for the welfare of Coal India retirees, CMPFO pensioners and widows of coal workers.
The Forum said around 21,000 pensioners receive less than ₹1,000 per month, while many widow pensioners continue to receive a family pension of just ₹320 per month under the older scheme. It noted that these pension amounts have remained largely unchanged for decades and are not linked to Industrial Dearness Allowance (IDA), unlike several other government and public sector pension schemes, leaving retirees increasingly vulnerable to inflation.
According to the Forum, Coal India has around six lakh pensioners and family pensioners, of whom nearly 4.76 lakh are currently drawing pensions. It further claimed that about 47,000 pensioners have stopped receiving pensions due to issues such as non-submission of life certificates, lack of awareness and procedural difficulties, and urged the Coal Mines Provident Fund Organisation (CMPFO) to conduct awareness drives and simplify the restoration process.
The Forum also highlighted that over four lakh retired coal workers are without Coal India medical cards, making access to healthcare difficult. It urged the government to extend Ayushman Bharat or similar medical coverage, particularly for pensioners aged 75 years and above, and ensure affordable healthcare for retired employees and widows.
The Forum demanded:
• Minimum monthly pension of ₹10,000 under CMPFS-1971 and CMPS-1998.
• Industrial Dearness Allowance (IDA) with regular inflation-linked pension revision.
• Periodic actuarial review and transparent audit of pension funds to ensure available resources are used for pension enhancement.
• Restoration of pensions discontinued due to procedural issues, including life certificate-related cases.
• Better medical coverage for retired coal workers and widows, including inclusion under Ayushman Bharat.
• Pension parity with other Central Government and Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) retirees.
The Forum said retired coal workers spent decades serving one of India's most hazardous industries and deserve a dignified life after retirement. It appealed to the Ministry of Coal and the Government of India to address the long-pending demands and implement meaningful pension reforms at the earliest.