Lok Sabha Question No. 935 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-08
Subject: Status of EPFO Accounts of Labourers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Ramdas Chandrabhanji Tadas, Manoj Kumar Tiwari, Sangamlal Kadedin Gupta, Chandra Prakash Joshi

(a):

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 935 TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.02.2021

## STATUS OF EPFO ACCOUNTS OF LABOURERS

†935. SHRI RAMDAS C. TADAS:

SHRI MANOJ TIWARI:

SHRI SANGAM LAL GUPTA:

SHRI CHANDRA PRAKASH JOSHI:

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

(a)whether  there  has  been  a  decline  in  the  operative  status  of  EPFO

- accounts of the labourers during the last one year;

(b)if  so,  the  state-wise  number  and  details  of  the  accounts  which  have

- become inoperative;

(c)the number of labourers to whom the Government has provided relief through EPFO so far; and

(d)the types and details of relief provided?

## ANSWER

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

No, Sir.

- (b): A  statement  showing  the  state-wise  number  of  inoperative accounts as on 31.03.2020 is at Annexure.
- (c) & (d): During  the  Covid-19  pandemic  period,  under  the  Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) and Atmanirbhar Bharat, Government  of  India  contributed  both  12%  employees'  share  and  12% employers' share under Employees' Provident Fund (EPF), totaling 24% for the  wage  months  of  March  to  August,  2020,  for  all  the  establishments having  up  to  100  employees  with  90%  of  such  employees  earning  less than Rs.15,000/- monthly wage. Benefits amounting to Rs. 2567.22 Crore has  been  credited  in  the  Aadhaar  seeded  UANs  of  38.84  eligible  EPF members and 2.63 Lakh eligible establishments.

The statutory rate of contributions was reduced from 12% of wages to 10% of wages for three wage months from May, 2020 to July, 2020,  as  specified  vide  notification  number  S.O.  1513(E)  dated  the  18 th May, 2020. The details of establishments and members availing benefits of reduced rates are as under:

| Month      |   No. of Establishments | No of EPF members   |
|------------|-------------------------|---------------------|
| May, 2020  |                  124093 | 157.83 Lakh         |
| June, 2020 |                  138773 | 175.44 Lakh         |
| July, 2020 |                  141045 | 180.93 Lakh         |

Further,  the  Central  Government  inserted  sub-paragraph  (3) under  paragraph 68L of the Employees' Provident Funds Scheme, 1952 on 28th March 2020 for COVID Advance. Under this provision non-refundable withdrawal to the extent of the basic wages and dearness allowances for three months or up to 75% of the amount standing to member's credit in the EPF account, whichever is less, is provided to beneficiaries.

## The details of advances as on 31.01.2021 are as follows:

| Type of advance/withdrawals   | No. of claims settled in favour of members   | Amount (Rs. In crores)   |
|-------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|--------------------------|
| Unemployment Advance          | 42,201                                       | 141.96                   |
| Covid related advance         | 60,88,980                                    | 15,255.95                |

During the Covid-19 recovery phase, the Central Government has launched the Atmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana (ABRY) to incentivize employment generation in Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) registered establishments by payment  of  both employees' and  employers' contributions i.e. 24% of wages in respect of new employees in establishments employing up to 1000 employees  and employees  EPF  contributions  i.e.  12%  of  wages  in  respect  of  new employees  in establishments employing  more  than  1000  employees.  As on 28.01.2021, the total number of beneficiaries (new employees) is 4.69 lakhs.

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Annexure

Statement referred to in reply to part (b) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 935 to be answered on 08.02.2021 raised by Shri Ramdas C. Tadas, Shri Manoj Tiwari, Shri  Sangam  Lal  Gupta  and  Shri  Chandra  Prakash  Joshi,  Hon'ble  Members  of Parliament. regarding 'Status of EPFO Accounts of Labourers'.

| Sl.No.   | ZONE/STATE                |   Inoperative accounts as on 31.03.2020 |
|----------|---------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
| 1        | ANDHRA PRADESH            |                                   22303 |
| 2        | GUJARAT                   |                                   56970 |
| 3        | HARYANA                   |                                   41015 |
| 4        | KERALA AND LAKSHADWEEP    |                                   51589 |
| 5        | ODISHA                    |                                   23444 |
| 6        | RAJASTHAN                 |                                   20027 |
| 7        | TELANGANA                 |                                   46083 |
| 8        | UTTAR PRADESH             |                                   51922 |
| 9        | MAHARASHTRA               |                                  160413 |
| 10       | JHARKHAND                 |                                   14929 |
| 11       | BIHAR                     |                                   11358 |
| 12       | UTTARAKHAND               |                                   14943 |
| 13       | GOA                       |                                    3735 |
| 14       | KARNATAKA                 |                                   75670 |
| 15       | MADHYA PRADESH            |                                   28944 |
| 16       | CHHATTISGARH              |                                    7986 |
| 17       | ASSAM                     |                                    7239 |
| 18       | MEGHALAYA                 |                                    1343 |
| 19       | TRIPURA                   |                                    1343 |
| 20       | PUNJAB                    |                                   20646 |
| 21       | HIMACHAL PRADESH          |                                    8252 |
| 22       | TAMIL NADU                |                                  149594 |
| 23       | WEST BENGAL               |                                   82487 |
| 24       | ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS |                                     448 |
| 25       | CHANDIGARH                |                                   12636 |
| 26       | JAMMU KASHMIR AND LADAKH  |                                       0 |
| 27       | DELHI                     |                                   56932 |
| 28       | PUDUCHERRY                |                                    5512 |
| Total    | Total                     |                                  977763 |

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