HYDERABAD: In a development that marks a turning point for the welfare of Singareni coal mine workers, Peddapalli MP Gaddam Vamsikrishna secured Rs 140 crore towards the long-stagnant Singareni Pension Fund. This has ended over 35 years of administrative apathy and revives a critical social security measure first envisioned decades ago.
Despite the pension scheme being launched during the tenure of former Union Minister Kaka Venkataswamy, there has been no enhancement to pension contributions since its inception.
Successive governments failed to address the growing needs of thousands of retired coal workers, leaving their futures uncertain.
Rising to the occasion, MP Vamsikrishna took the issue and met Union ministers, engaging Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) officials and raising the matter in the Parliament.
His sustained efforts have now resulted in SCCL agreeing to allocate Rs 20 per tonne of coal mined towards the pension fund — injecting Rs 140 crore into the scheme in a single move. “This is just the beginning,” said MP Vamsikrishna.