March 21, 2002

CIL TO PAY SECOND INSTALMENT OF 40% OF ARREARS OF WAGES BY MARCH END

SHRI PASWAN DIRECTS 15 PER CENT VERIFICATION OF NON-CORE LINKAGES BY COAL COMPANY’S VIGILANCE

    Union Minister for Coal & Mines Shri Ram Vilas Paswan has directed Coal India Limited to pay second instalment of 40 per cent of arrears of the Sixth Wage Board to the workers during the next 2 to 3 weeks. 40 per cent of arrears have already been paid to the workers of all subsidiaries of CIL during December 2001. Shri Paswan was taking a review meeting on coal sales policy with Chairman CIL, CMDS of all subsidiaries and senior officers of Ministry here today.

    During the meeting the CMDS of CIL subsidiaries highlighted the fact that there is vast difference in the verification of non-core industries carried out by State Government and Departmental vigilance. The Department vigilance, which carried out verification of approximately 5 per cent non-core linked industries, found that 50 to 70% industries do not exist on the ground whereas as per the verification carried out by State Governments, the number of fake/non-existent non-core linked industries is about 10%. Shri Paswan instructed CMDS of subsidiaries to increase the verification from 5 to 15 per cent through their Vigilance Department so as to establish the factual position about the genuineness or otherwise of the linked units. He also advised them to expedite the verification of all those units which had remained unverified so far.

    Out of 7015 linked units under CIL supply to 2480 units has been discontinued on account of non-existence or non-operation.

    Coal Minister also had discussion on the proposals received from Ministry of Labour regarding amendments to the Mines Act, 1952. The Minister decided to have a further thorough full scale review of the matter in view of the importance of the issues involved.