Coal Employees’ Forum Demands Rs.10,000 Minimum Pension, IDA and Better Healthcare for Coal Pensioners
3 min read
New Delhi, August 1, 2026
The Coal Employees’ Forum has called on the Union Ministry of Coal to immediately increase the minimum monthly pension to ₹10,000, introduce Industrial Dearness Allowance (IDA), and improve medical and social security benefits for retired coal workers under the Coal Mines Family Pension Scheme (CMPFS-1971) and the Coal Mines Pension Scheme (CMPS-1998).
Key Takeaways
- The Coal Employees’ Forum demanded a minimum monthly pension of Rs 10,000 and Industrial Dearness Allowance for coal pensioners.
- The Forum also called for improved medical and social security benefits under CMPFS-1971 and CMPS-1998 schemes.
- About 21,000 pensioners currently receive less than Rs 1,000 a month, per the Forum.
- Forum leaders made the demands at a Press Club of India conference in New Delhi.
Speaking at a press conference held at the Press Club of India, Coal Employees’ Forum President Biman Mitra, Joint General Secretary Mou Mukherjee, and General Secretary Chanchal Banerjee, along with Executive Committee Member Laxman Kalwala, emphasized that the Forum is a non‑political body dedicated to the welfare of Coal India retirees, CMPFO pensioners, and widows of coal employees.
The Forum pointed out that roughly 21,000 pensioners receive less than ₹1,000 a month, and many widow pensioners still get only ₹320 per month under the older scheme. These amounts have stayed almost unchanged for decades and are not tied to Industrial Dearness Allowance (IDA), unlike many other government and public‑sector pension plans, leaving retirees increasingly exposed to inflation.
According to the Forum, Coal India has about six lakh pensioners and family pensioners, of which nearly 4.76 lakh are currently drawing pensions. It added that around 47,000 pensioners have stopped receiving payments due to problems such as failure to submit life certificates, lack of awareness, and procedural hurdles, and urged the Coal Mines Provident Fund Organisation (CMPFO) to run awareness campaigns and simplify the restoration process.
The Forum also noted that more than four lakh retired coal workers lack Coal India medical cards, making healthcare access difficult. It urged the government to extend Ayushman Bharat or a comparable health scheme, especially for pensioners aged 75 and above, and to guarantee affordable medical care for retired employees and widows.
The Forum demanded:
• Ensure a minimum monthly pension of ₹10,000 under CMPFS-1971 and CMPS-1998.
• Provide Industrial Dearness Allowance (IDA) with regular inflation‑linked revisions to pensions.
• Conduct periodic actuarial reviews and transparent audits of pension funds so that available resources can be used to enhance pensions.
• Restore pensions that were halted due to procedural issues, including cases related to life‑certificate submission.
• Improve medical coverage for retired coal workers and widows, including inclusion under Ayushman Bharat.
• Achieve pension parity with other Central Government and Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) retirees.
The Forum stated that retired coal workers have spent decades in 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 these long‑standing demands and implement substantive pension reforms as soon as possible.
