Coal India revises uniform rules, allowing two months to submit GST bills; WCL confirms no inspection squad or committee is currently appointed at its Nagpur headquarters.
NAGPUR: A Right to Information (RTI) response from Western Coalfields Limited (WCL), headquartered in Nagpur, has revealed that the company is currently operating without a management-appointed inspection team, committee or flying squad at its headquarters to investigate violations related to workplace restrictions on smoking and intoxicating substances.
The response was issued following an RTI application filed by Nagpur resident Rajiv Ranjan Kushwaha on September 3, 2026. WCL’s Industrial Relations Department provided relevant office noting sheets and documents in response to five queries concerning employee uniform rules, workplace prohibitions, disciplinary provisions, inspection mechanisms and year-wise enforcement records.
WCL Confirms No Inspection Committee at Nagpur Headquarters
In its written response, WCL management stated that no inspection team, committee or flying squad has currently been appointed by the management at the WCL headquarters in Nagpur.
The RTI application also sought information about rules prohibiting smoking, alcohol and other intoxicating substances, gutkha and pan masala in office and mine premises.
According to WCL’s response, the applicable provisions are covered under the company’s certified Standing Orders, which are available on its official website. The response also referred to these Standing Orders for disciplinary action in cases of violations.
As no inspection committee has been constituted, WCL stated that the question of providing year-wise details of inspections and punitive action by such a committee does not arise.
The response was processed through the office of the Deputy General Manager (Industrial Relations) and forwarded to the Public Information Officer. The receipt is dated September 17, 2026.
Coal India Revises Employee Uniform Policy
The RTI documents also included Coal India Limited’s revised uniform dress-code order, issued through an office memorandum dated April 28, 2026.
The memorandum, bearing reference number CIL/C-5B/JBCCI-XI/Uniform Dress-Code/20, states that the revision was approved at the 490th meeting of the Coal India Board of Directors. It modifies the earlier order dated June 6, 2025.
Under the revised provisions, eligible employees will receive an annual advance of ₹12,500 for three or more pairs of uniforms.
Employees must submit GST bills for the uniform purchases within two months of receiving the advance. Failure to submit the bills within the stipulated period may result in recovery of the advance from their salary.
For employees approaching retirement, the bills must be submitted within two months of receiving the advance or before the release of their final salary, whichever comes first.
What Is the New WCL Uniform Dress Code?
The revised policy specifies the following uniform requirements:
For male employees:
- Three grey formal shirts.
- Three black formal trousers.
For female employees, three options are available:
- Grey or maroon formal shirts with black trousers.
- Grey or maroon kurtas/kameez with black salwar and dupatta.
- Grey or maroon sarees with black blouses.
Female employees may choose any one of the prescribed options or a combination of them, subject to the minimum requirement of three pairs.
The prescribed colour codes are:
- Grey: PMS 444
- Maroon: PMS 209, for female employees only
- Black trousers: PMS 426
PMS refers to the Pantone Matching System used for standardising colours.
Key Details Emerging from the RTI
The documents provide information on two separate aspects of WCL’s administration: its uniform reimbursement policy and its current inspection arrangements at the Nagpur headquarters.
While Coal India has revised the uniform advance and bill-submission timeline, WCL’s RTI response confirms that no management-appointed inspection team, committee or flying squad is currently in place at the headquarters for the matters covered by the query.
The response does not establish that workplace restrictions are absent. WCL has referred to its certified Standing Orders as the applicable framework for prohibitions and disciplinary action.
The uniform-related documents were issued through WCL headquarters at Civil Lines, Nagpur, by the Senior Manager (Human Resources/Industrial Relations/SE) through the eOffice system.
