One of our employees, Sri Maganbir Singh, had worked with our
company (Eclipse Systems Pvt Ltd) from Feb 01 to Aug 08 and was registerd as a
member of the EPF scheme at no DL-15359/81. Our company was being serviced for
EPF by EPFC, Regional Office, Delhi South, Wazirpur Delhi. He left his job and
soon
after leaving the job, he applied, on 29.12.08, for final payment of his EPF
account under rule 72 of Employees Provident Fund Scheme 1952 by submitting his
application on Form 19 and for payment of withdrawal benefit on leaving service
before being eligible for monthly members’ pension on Form 10C under para 14 of
your Employee’s Pension Scheme 1995. According to EPF Act/Rules, his claim
should have been settled within a month of his applying for it. However, his
employer received a letter dated 20.02.09 (ie 2 months after applying) from
RPFC requesting for some clarification on his application. This was replied to
vide
employer’s letter dated 22.04.09. Thereafter,
RPFC sent a letter dated 18.08.09 (8
months after applying) to the applicant under copy to his employer informing
that the applicant’s name did not match with his name in their records. Such an
objection, if really true, could have been sent to him/employer immediately
after his application was received by RPFC on 28.12.08. Since the action
required to be taken after receipt of the objection was not understood, the
applicant Madan visited RPFC office personally 0n 07.09.09 to find out what
further action should now be taken by him in the matter. He found a long queue
of similiarly aggrieved persons waiting to meet the Public Relations Officer
who was supposed to hear and take action on such grievances. When Madan’s turn
came (by late afternoon), he was advised by the PRO that he may apply again for
final repayment along with his own and his company’s Director/Manager
(Adminstartion) signatures duly attested (by whom). Confused, Madan requested
him to talk to me on mobile and he told the same thing to him. I asked him to
tell me his name and also that he may send his advice in writing. He refused to
do so and just closed the mobile and shifted Madan away. Even after further
efforts, Madan could not find his name or contact the really concerned Accounts
Officer. After he thus applies again, he may again have to wait for long. EPF
is a contributor’s own money. If an employee finds so much harassment in
getting repayment of his EPF contribution, one can imagine the plight of much
poorer and weaker BPL persons entitled to receive support under GOI schemes
like NREGA etc. It will be desirable if some NGO takes up some study about the
working of EPF scheme and highlights its shortcomings noticed after so many
years of its working.
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