NEW DELHI, Feb. 10 -- Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Rajya Sabha MP, Sanjay Singh, has raised serious concerns over the plight of dependents of Coal India employees suffering from severe illnesses. Speaking during the Zero Hour of the Rajya Sabha, Singh highlighted that these dependents are being denied jobs due to the non-functional Medical Board, which has been inactive for the past seven years. Under the National Coal Wage Agreement (NCWA), Clause 9.4.0, dependents of severely ill employees are entitled to jobs, provided the employee is declared unfit due to serious health conditions like cancer, liver disease, or kidney failure. However, Singh pointed out that despite this provision, the central government has failed to take action to implement it.
"The Medical Board, which is responsible for conducting medical examinations in such cases, has been non-functional since November 18, 2017. This inaction has caused immense hardship to the families of thousands of employees," said Sanjay Singh. He further emphasized that Coal India workers play a crucial role in maintaining an uninterrupted power supply to the nation, especially during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic when they risked their lives to keep the country's thermal power plants operational.
Singh highlighted that despite repeated petitions submitted by Coal India employees to the President, Prime Minister, and Union Coal Minister over the last seven years, the government has not taken any meaningful action. "The dependents of severely ill employees have written to the highest authorities, but their requests have gone unanswered. The government must take responsibility and explain why the Medical Board has remained inactive," he said.
Singh demanded an inquiry into the Medical Board's closure and urged swift compassionate appointments.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.