Employees' Provident Fund Organisation orders EPF to be released before retirement

After the Labour Ministry's meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 26, the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), the retirement fund body of India, announced new guidelines to its field offices on Tuesday. It has mandated that death claims be settled within seven days, and retirement cases before the retirement of the employee.

The Central Provident Fund Commissioner (CPFC) thus informed the Labour Minister of India, Bandaru Dattatreya, that in line with the directives they arrived upon after the meeting, the EPFO has successfully issued detailed guidelines that would fast-track the settlement of retirement and death cases.

Yesterday, the EPFO celebrated the 64th Promulgation Day of the Employees Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, and Dattatreya, who was the chief guest on the occasion, charted a futuristic and ambitious trajectory for the organisation.

The guidelines urge the field offices to "take prompt and proactive action to settle the death claims within seven days and in retirement cases on or before the day of retirement," according to a statement released by the Ministry.

The minister's speech and guidelines also emphasised the need to be more proactive on social media, and respond to grievances expeditiously.

Besides that, he lauded the EPFO's decision to join the network of Common Service Centre's (CSC) e-Governance Services India, which will be instrumental in resolving the issue of Jeewan Praman Patra (life certificate) of 50 lakh EPF pensioners having Aadhar ID.

He has now encouraged increased coordination among the different subordinate bodies of the ministry with regard to data sharing so that the labour laws instated are implemented faster.