By KARTIK SAHU, OP
Kataka: The demand for government pension with arrears for retired employees of the Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC), pending since 1991, has intensified, with the retirees warning of extreme protests if the government fails to address their grievances.
At a press conference organised Friday at the Gadagadia Temple premises in Kataka, office-bearers of the OMC Retired Employees Association expressed strong resentment over prolonged government inaction and years of legal battles.
They warned that if the government failed to respond to their demands within the next 15 days, they would resort to self-immolation in front of the Chief Minister’s residence and the Secretariat. They also held the government entirely responsible for any such eventuality.
According to the association, the Odisha Mining Corporation was established in 1956, and its employees began retiring from 1989. At the time, the corporation’s authorities proposed extending government pension benefits to employees in place of Provident Fund and Family Pension benefits.
Following consideration by the OMC Board and approval from the Finance Department, the Department of Mines and Steel, through Letter No. 12610 dated October 5, 1991, approved government pension benefits for employees who had retired on or after April 1, 1989.
However, despite the approval, the corporation authorities allegedly failed to implement the decision, forcing the retired employees to seek justice through the Orissa High Court. After years of legal proceedings, the High Court ruled in favour of the employees May 13, 2025.
However, the matter remains pending as the state government has challenged the High Court’s order before a Division Bench. The association has urged the government to ensure immediate justice for the elderly retired employees, many of whom have been living under financial uncertainty for decades, and release their pension benefits along with arrears in accordance with the 1991 approval.
Association president Sadananda Mishra, secretary Jagannath Patnaik, Kamalakanta Mohanty, Rabinarayan Das and SN Patnaik were among those who addressed the press conference.