Central EPFO replaces former state’s EPF Act

Tribune News Service

Jammu, November 19

The Central Employees Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, will now cover workers in the two newly carved Union Territories (UTs) of J&K and Ladakh after the bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5.

The Central Act will now replace the Jammu and Kashmir EPF Act/Schemes 1961 which now ceases to exist.

This was informed by the Regional Provident Fund (PF) Commissioner Prasant K during his first formal media briefing here on Tuesday.

The Regional PF Commissioner, who has assumed the charge of the office, said the Central Employees Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, had been made applicable to the whole of the UTs of J&K and Ladakh with effect from November 1.

“Now this Act replaces the Jammu and Kashmir Provident Fund Act 1961. With the application of the Act, the three schemes, including Employees Provident Fund Scheme 1952, Employees Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme and Employees Pension Scheme 1995, are also applied to the UTs of J&K and Ladakh,” Prasant K said.

The Commissioner said the government had ordered for opening of three regional offices of Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) in Jammu, Srinagar and Leh (Ladakh) to ensure effective implementation of the provisions of the EPF Act and schemes.

“Under the Central Act, there is also a scheme for pension and insurance benefit to the family in the event of death while in service to the member which has maximum coverage of Rs 6 lakh,” the Commissioner said, adding “All the transactions would be made through online mode and all efforts will be made to give a corruption-free system at the regional offices in Jammu, Srinagar and Ladakh.”