GMDC ignores Supreme Court verdict, over 500 retirees denied pension hike

More than 500 retired employees of the Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation (GMDC) have been denied a pension revision despite a 2022 Supreme Court verdict in favour of higher pensions. The GMDC accounts department has reportedly failed to provide required salary and contribution details to the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), blocking the retirees' claims.

Following the verdict, the GMDC Pensioners’ Association submitted applications to the EPFO, seeking revised pensions under the new guidelines. In response, the EPF office in Ahmedabad sent two official requests to GMDC, asking for historical records of provident fund deductions and employer contributions for 516 retired employees during the course of their employment.

However, GMDC’s accounts department has neither provided the requested data nor clarified its unavailability. As a result, the EPFO has rejected the pension revision applications, citing lack of documentation. 

Most of these affected retirees currently receive paltry pensions, ranging between ₹1,000 and ₹4,000 per month—amounts many say are insufficient to meet basic living expenses. Repeated appeals from the pensioners to both the GMDC and EPFO have gone unanswered, escalating frustration among former employees.

Similar grievances have been reported by retirees from other Gujarat state undertakings, including the Gujarat State Transport Corporation and Gujarat Agro Industries, who also allege delays in receiving revised pensions.

Pensioners are now calling on GMDC to comply with the Supreme Court’s directive and promptly release the necessary salary records to ensure they receive the benefits to which they are legally entitled.