Public Sector Undertakings Comes Under EPFO Scanner
EPFO Concentrates on Workers in Construction Sector
Student-Trainees not Employees for Purpose of EPF & MP act, 1952.
While
taking stock of the various developments in EPFO during the month of
October, 2015, Shri K.K. Jalan, CPFC noted that several important
decisions have been taken in the past one month.
Addressing the
concerns voiced by the Standing Committee on Labour, a drive for
ensuring compliance in respect of Public Sector Undertakings has been
initiated. Special emphasis is laid on extension of the benefits of the
Act and schemes to the eligible employees working in PSUs like Bombay
Port Trust, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, BSNL, MTNL, ONGC, NHAI, Indian
railways and CPWD. Likewise, the extension of benefits to the workers
engaged in the construction industry has also been the focus of the
organization this month and a strategy has been firmed up to initiate
formal interaction with CPSUs, SPSUs and other state govt. departments
and trade unions with a view to bring all the eligible employees engaged
in the industry under the ambit of the Act so that social security
benefits are extended to all of them.
The month of October also
saw a slight modification in the constitution of the Central Board of
Trustees (EPF) as Shri Balasubrahmanyam Kamarsu has been nominated to
the Board as an employers’ representative against the vacancy arising
out the demise of Dr. Ram Tarneja. The Sub Committees on Contract
Workers, Pension and EDLI Implementation Committee, Finance, Investment
and Audit Committee of CBT, EPF were also reconstituted.
Vigilance
Awareness Week (26 to 30th October 2015) was celebrated in all the
offices of the organisation across the country. This year, going beyond
undertaking activities within the office, an effort was made to
sensitize young minds to vigilance and corruption related issues by
organizing speech competitions, discussions at schools and colleges in
many cities like Delhi, Coimbatore, Kolkata, Faridabad, etc.
With a
view to popularize Jeevan Pramaan Patra (Online Life Certificate)
instructions have been issued to the field offices of the organisation
to equip reception counters of the field offices with biometric devices
and PC with Jeevan Pramaan Patra software installed for the ease and
convenience of EPS pensioners. EPF helpdesk in major pension disbursing
bank branches are also being contemplated. It is also decided to
organize mobile camps in selected areas for enabling EPS pensioners to
upload their life certificates.
In a major step, the organization
has clarified those student trainees who are paid stipend during on the
job training while pursuing course in technical /professional
educational institutions would not come under the definition of employee
for the purpose of EPF &MP Act. This removes the ambiguity
surrounding the eligibility of such student-trainees for enrolling as
members of the Fund and is expected to bring about greater clarity among
employers and also reduce litigations.
In a major step to assess
the position of the accounting procedures in EPFO, it was decided to
have a study conducted on the accounts issues of organization. It was
also decided that Inoperative Accounts of less than Rs. 1,000 shall be
transferred to the reserve account.
The organization has settled
more than 70 lakh claims in the current fiscal and 42% of the same has
been settled within 03 days while 80% has been settled within 10 days
and 97% within the mandated 20 days. Likewise grievance redressal has
also been progressing at a brisk pace and more than 18,000 grievances
were settled in the month of October alone.
PIB
