ET NEWS

The coal ministry is proposing to come out with a new legislation to ensure social security and pensionary benefits to coal workers. The new law, once approved by Parliament, will replace the 77-year-old Coal Mines Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1948. The new legislation will take into account important developments in areas such as industrial disputes resolution, working conditions, social security, wage regulation and digitalisation. The coal ministry has invited comments on the draft Coal Mines Employees' Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill, 2025, from the stakeholders. In the new bill, it is proposed to replace the existing Board of Trustees with the Coal Mines Employees' Provident Fund Board, thereby providing a more robust and accountable regulatory framework. The Coal Mines Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1948, was enacted to make provisions for framing of a Provident Fund Scheme, a Family Pension Scheme and a Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme for the workers employed in coal mines. The Act is a pre-constitution Act and has been amended several times. "...it is proposed to undertake a comprehensive review and strengthen the provisions of the Act. This will ensure its effectiveness in meeting the present and future needs of the coal sector," the ministry said. The Act is administered by the coal ministry through the Coal Mines Provident Fund Organisation. As the Centre is reviewing the pre-constitutional Acts to assess their continued relevance in the present context, it has been considered necessary to take remedial actions, including repeal, re-enactment or consolidation of multiple central acts governing similar subject matter into a single, streamlined enactment, as the case may be, the ministry said.