A distinguished group of 75 members, consisting of former Chairmen, CMDs and Directors of Coal India Limited and Singareni Collieries Company Limited, has submitted an appeal to the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, urging immediate and meaningful reform of coal pension.
The appeal was submitted with active efforts made by Onkar Singh, Executive Body member of All India Association of Coal Executives (AIACE) who, on behalf of the elite group, submitted this in person.
The appeal, dated 23 March 2026, highlights the long-standing issue affecting nearly 5 lakh retired coal employees, whose pensions-fixed at the time of retirement-have remained stagnant without any linkage to inflation or rising cost of living. Coal industry in India holds a unique and critical position in meeting the nation’s primary energy requirements. Unlike other industries, its sustainability depends heavily on scientific mining and conservation undertaken in the past by its employees.
The former senior leadership emphasized that India’s coal sector, which contributes over 55% of the nation’s commercial energy needs, has been built through decades of dedicated service under extremely hazardous and challenging conditions. They noted that these contributions have enabled the sector to generate over ₹70,000 crore annually for the national exchequer.
The representation also draws attention to serious concerns regarding the Coal Mines Pension Scheme, 1998 (CMPS-1998), including issues of corpus management and suboptimal investment decisions. These concerns were earlier highlighted in the 12th Report of the Public Accounts Committee (2020), yet remain largely unaddressed.
The signatories have urged the Government of India to:
- Undertake immediate revision of coal pension
- Introduce a mechanism for periodic adjustment linked to inflation
- Ensure fair returns on contributions under CMPS-1998
- Restore dignity and financial security for retired coal employees
The appeal underscores that coal pensioners are not seeking any favour, but only the rightful realization of benefits assured under the pension scheme.
The team of old veterans of coal industry, retd. Chairmen, CMDs, Directors of Coal India Ltd and Singareni Collieries Company Ltd have also reiterated their full support to the peaceful movement led by All India Association of Coal Executives (AIACE) and All India Coal Pensioners Association (AICPA) for justice to coal pensioners.
AIACE and AICPA expressed confidence that the Hon’ble Prime Minister will take a sympathetic and time-bound decision to address this long-pending issue of national importance.
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