Lok Sabha Question No. 430 (STARRED), answered on 2018-03-26
Subject: Online PF Withdrawal
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: VIJAY KUMAR S.R., SUDHEER GUPTA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. 430

TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.03.2018

## ONLINE PF WITHDRAWAL

*430. SHRI S.R. VIJAYAKUMAR: SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

Will  the  Minister  of  LABOUR  AND  EMPLOYMENT  be  pleased  to state:

- (a)whether  the  Employees'  Provident  Fund  Organization  (EPFO)  has made  it  mandatory  to  file  online  claims  for  Provident  Fund  (PF) withdrawal above Rupees 10 lakh;
- (b)if  so,  the  details  including  the  aims  and  objectives  thereof  along with  the  extent  to  which  the  new  norm  is  likely  to  benefit  the employees;
- (c)whether EPFO proposes to lay down some more criteria for availing
- PF advance/withdrawal and if so, the details thereof;
- (d)the  details  of  other  steps  taken/being  taken  by  EPFO  towards
- becoming a paperless organization; and
- (e)the steps taken/being taken by the Government for speedy disposal of  withdrawal/advance  from  PF  account  and  check  corruption  in disbursal of PF amount?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR)

(a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

*                                                 *******

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a)  TO  (e)  OF  LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 430 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.03.2018 BY SHRI S.R. VIJAYAKUMAR AND SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA REGARDING ONLINE PF WITHDRAWAL.

(a) & (b): Yes, Madam. Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO)  aims  to  become  paperless  Organisation  by  replacing  the manual  submission  of  physical  claim  forms  by  the  employees  with electronic filing through online mode. This would speed-up the process of filing as well as settlement of claim.

- (c): No, Madam. At present, there is no such proposal.
- (d): Various administrative and technical initiatives identified/taken  by  EPFO  to  transform  itself  into  a  paperless  office include:-
- i) To encourage that all claims are received online avoiding submission of paper claims. Establishments are encouraged to get all the claims of employees filled through the online mode.
- ii) All the Form-9 of members to be made online with proper approval according to the instructions already issued in this regard.
- iii) E-office  software  implementation  and  processing  of  administrative files in the electronic format in all the offices of EPFO.
- iv) Under Human  Resource  Management  (HRM)  software, service details/records  of  each  official  of  EPFO  have  been  maintained  in electronic format.

(e): The  following  steps  have  been  taken  by  EPFO  for  speedy disposal of withdrawal from Provident Fund (PF) account:-

- i) Online submission of various claim forms by claimants.
2. ii) A single page Composite Claim Form (Aadhaar/Non-Aadhaar) with self-certification, has been introduced by replacing the erstwhile multiple  claim  forms  No.  19/10C/31,  simplifying  submission  of different claims by the members.
3. iii) Powers to settle the claims upto Rs. 50,000/- have been delegated to Section Supervisors.
4. iv) The  services  of  EPFO  for  employees  have  also  been  integrated and  offered through Unified Mobile Application  for  New-age Governance (UMANG) App of Government of India, including filing of claims.
- v) An online payment facility has been provided on Unified Portal for employers  for  payment  of  dues  through  internet  banking  (INB). This enhances prompt remittances, lesser defaults through anytime, anywhere online access by employers.
6. vi) After  introduction  of  National  Electronic  Funds  Transfer  (NEFT), all  payments  including  monthly  pension  payments  are  credited directly into the bank account of the claimants.
7. vii) Provision for Electronic Challan-cum-Return (ECR) has been made for the employers to remit the dues as well as to file their return electronically.

Further, to check the corruption in disbursal of PF amount, EPFO  has  allotted  unique  permanent  number  to  its  members  called Universal  Account  Number  (UAN)  which  enables  to  identify  the members.

*******