SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Aug 26: The body of retired coal employees of Coal India Limited (CIL) has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order for probe into Rs 1600 crores of Coal Mines Provident Fund Organization (CMPFO) that was invested by the union ministry of coal in private companies in which 80% amount has allegedly been lost.
Coal Pensioners Association, the body consisting of around 5.5 lakh retired coalmen of CIL including Jharkhand-based Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), Central Coalfield Limited (CCL) and Eastern Coalfield Limited (ECL), in a letter to the PM has pointed out that the coal ministry invested Rs 1600 crores of the CMPFO (contribution of employees) in private institutions and now an attempt is being made to write off the amount.
The fund fiasco in CMPFO started after the UPA government shifted the organization (CMPFO) under the ministry of coal from the department of labour ministry.
“It is ironic that in the last 24 years, the pension of retired employees has not been increased but the fund of CMPFO has been invested in private institutions which seems to lapse,” said Ramanuj Prasad, the president of the BCCL wing of the association.
Sources said that the CMPFO Board at its Nagpur meeting on August 16 had tried to send the proposal to the ministry of coal for writing off Rs 762 crores of DHLF but the decision was held up in the wake of stiff protest from trade union leaders.
“Around 1.26 lakh retired coalmen are facing problems hand to mouth as they draw a pension less than Rs 1000 per month. Some of them even get merely Rs 49. So, we have requested the PM to conduct a probe through a central agency over disinvestment of CMPFO fund in private companies and book the officials responsible for the misuse of the fund,” said Ramanuj Prasad.
