Lok Sabha Question No. 1536 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-19
Subject: Facilities to Coal Mine Workers
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD, PREM SINGH CHANDUMAJRA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1536 TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.12.2018

## Facilities to Coal Mine Workers

## 1536 .   DR.SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD: PROF. PREM SINGH CHANDUMAJRA:

Will the Minister of COAL be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government extends welfare facilities for the coal mine workers and their family members;
- (b) whether  annual  medical  check-up  is  mandatory  for  coal  mine  workers  working  in PSU coal mines and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  CIL  and  its  subsidiary  companies  provide  full  medical  facilities  to  all  its employees and their dependent family members and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  contractual  workers  are  also  covered  by  medical  facilities  and  if  so,  the details thereof; and
- (e) the  other  steps  taken  by  the  Government  for  the  welfare  of  coal  mine  workers  and their family members?

## A N S W E R

## MINISTER OF COAL AND RAILWAYS

## (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

(a): Coal  India  Limited  (CIL)    have    well-structured  welfare  schemes/facilities  for    housing, water  supply,  sanitation,  maintenance  of      roads  and  proper  upkeep  of  colonies,  indoor  and outdoor  medical  treatment,  post-retirement  medical  benefits,  games  and  sports,  gymnasiums, yoga  Kendra,  recreational  facilities  e.g.  club,  stadium,  playgrounds,  children  park,  library, community centre, canteen, rest shelter, bank, co-operative stores, education facilities including provision  of    school  bus  for  children,  scholarship  schemes  for  the  wards  of  the  employees, reimbursement of tuition fees and hostel charges of the wards of the employees pursuing study in all  Government  Engineering  and Medical Colleges, award/ reward to the employees  and their wards  for  their  achievement  in  their  areas  of  work/education/games  etc.  Maternity  leave  and child care leave facilities are given to the women employees of the company.

(b):  Annual medical check-up is not mandatory for  coal mine workers. They are required to undergo Periodical Medical examination (PME) after every five years as per Rule 29 B (b) of Mines  Rules,  1955.  However,  on  the  recommendation  of  the  10th Conference  on  Safety  in Mines held in 2007, frequency of periodical medical examination has been brought down from existing five years to three years for the mining employees above 45 years of age. Employees  engaged  in  food  handling  and  preparation  and  handling  of  steaming  material activities  are  undergoing  routine stool  examination  once  in  every  six  months and sputum  for AFB and chest radiograph once in a year.Employees engaged in driving/ Heavy Earth Moving Machinery operation jobs are undergoing eye refraction test once in a year.

c):  CIL and its subsidiary  companies provide full medical facilities to all employees and their dependent  family  members  in  the  form  of  outdoor,  indoor  and  referral  services.  Moreover, wherever  required,  employees  and  their  dependent  family  are  referred  to  outside  Government and  private  hospitals.  There  are  332  super-speciality,  multi-speciality  and  single  speciality private  empaneled  hospitals all  over  India  where  the  employees  and  their  dependent  family members can avail treatment free of cost whenever referred. Retired employees along with their spouses can also receive treatment in these hospitals.

(d): The contractual workers are also provided treatment and occupational health services in the 70 hospitals owned by CIL spread across the coal mining areas.

(e):  The coal mine workers are getting the facilities of Provident Fund and Pension as per Coal Mines Provident Fund Scheme, 1948 and Coal Mines Pension Scheme, 1998.

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