EPFO recovers Rs 30.22 crore from 49 defaulter establishments in Ludhiana

Tribune News Service

Nitin Jain

Ludhiana, April 15

The Ludhiana Regional Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has recovered a sum of Rs 30.22 crore from 49 defaulter establishments during the financial year 2023-24.

It was almost 94 per cent of the total demand and arrears of dues assessed before April 1, 2023, which were supposed to be paid till March 31, 2024.

Besides, the Union Labour and Employment Ministry’s social security provider to employees’ working in public, private establishments and cooperative societies in the shape of provident fund, pension and insurance schemes also settled as many as 2.95 lakh claims amounting to Rs 898 crore during the previous fiscal.

Regional Provident Fund Commissioner-1 (RPFC-1) Saurabh Swami told The Tribune here on Monday that the Ludhiana regional office of the EPFO maintains almost 21.2 lakh accounts of employees working at 14,991 establishments across the state’s biggest and largest district, in terms of area and population, with a special focus and priority to serve its subscribers in the best possible manner.

He disclosed that the EPFO regional office had settled as many as 2,94,665 claims (all types) amounting to Rs 89,784.6 lakh during the last financial year 2023-24.

Besides, the recovery wing of the Ludhiana centre had also recovered a sum of Rs 3,022.02-lakh from 49 defaulter establishments during the last fiscal in current demand as per the dues assessed during 2023-24, which was up to 94 per cent of the total demand and arrear dues assessed before April 1, 2023.

While the recovery of Rs 2,822.62 lakh was made under Sections 7A, 14B and 7Q of the Employees’ Provide Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, the arrear demand of Rs 199.4 lakh was recovered under Sections 8B to 8G of the Act by resorting to bank attachments and other mode of official mechanism.

“Under Section 7A of the EPF & MP Act, 1952, inquiries for determination of dues have been completed and disposed of against 49 defaulter establishments during 2023-24,” he said.

Swami said the EPFO, Ludhiana regional office, had a total of 31,227 pensioners of which as many as 25,059 life certificates had been received till March 31. “Our office had been regularly holding the PRAYAS programme and distributing pension payment orders (PPOs) among our retired subscribers on the same day of retirement,” he said.

The RPFC-1 said the Ludhiana EPFO had already fixed 27 of every month as ‘Nidhi Aapke Nikat’ (EPFO near you), an outreach programme to listen to grievances of the provident fund members and redress them on a priority basis.

“During the financial year 2023-24, we had received a total of 3,362 grievances, all of which had been redressed in the minimum possible time, with no plaint left pending with the office,” he divulged while seeking the cooperation of establishments covered under the EPF and the MP Act, 1952, in the district for ensuring uninterrupted, hassle-free and timely service to subscribers and PF members.

Swami added that 11 industrial accident cases had been reported during the previous fiscal, which were being followed up to provide benefits of provident fund, insurance claim, and widow/ widower pension to beneficiaries. “The cases pertaining to two firms had already been settled and insurance benefits had been disbursed to the beneficiaries,” he said.

Committed to providing prompt service: RPFC-1

“Our main motto is to provide trouble-free and prompt service to our subscribers as well as pensioners and that also preferably at their doorsteps, wherever possible. The organisation is handling several crores of provident fund and pension accounts across the country and providing seamless and swift service to its subscribers.” — Saurabh Swami, Regional PF Commissioner-I

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