Even as the Union Ministry of Mines has sanctioned funds for the payment of interest on belated payment of termination gratuity to all the former employees of Bharat Gold Mines Ltd (BGML), the BGML Employees, Supervisors and Officers’ United Forum has expressed apprehensions about disbursement of the funds in a justified manner.
Addressing media representatives at Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) on Wednesday, the forum coordinator G. Jayakumar said the former employees have no faith in the present staff serving on contract basis. “The amount sanctioned to the former employees who were on roll at the time of the termination of gold mining activities on February 28, 2001, should be deposited with the controlling authorities and it should be disbursed through the authorities only to ensure that the money reaches the genuine beneficiaries.”
The company had paid gratuity in 2007 after a delay of seven years and the employees were fighting in the court of law to get penal interest for the same. As a result, the Assistant Labour Commissioner (Central) and the controlling authorities of Bengaluru, Hubballi and Mangaluru regions have disposed of more than 3,000 applications submitted by former employees of BGML in connection with settlement of gratuity. The Union Ministry of Mines has sanctioned ₹11.20 crore for payment of interest on the unsettled gratuity.
Following an announcement by the BGML authorities, the former employees are collecting application forms for their respective claims.
