Lok Sabha Question No. 5827 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-30
Subject: Initiatives for Digital Service Delivery under EPFO and ESIC in Odisha
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Shri Baijayant Panda

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5827 TO BE ANSWERED ON 30.03.2026

## INITIATIVES FOR DIGITAL SERVICE DELIVERY UNDER EPFO

## AND ESIC IN ODISHA

## 5827. SHRI BAIJAYANT PANDA:

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

- (a) the details of initiatives undertaken by the Government to improve digital  service  delivery,  grievance  redressal and benefit access under Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) and Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) in Odisha;
- (b)  whether  any  performance  or  service-delivery  assessment  has been  carried  out  with  respect  to  timeliness  of  claims,  pension services and medical benefits in the said State;
- (c) if so, the broad findings thereof; and
- (d) the details of  future  steps  proposed  to  be  taken  by  the Government to  strengthen  coverage  and  ease  of  access  under EPFO and ESIC in the said State?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)

- (a)  to (c):   EPFO  &  ESIC  have  undertaken  various  initiatives  to improve  digital  service  delivery,  strengthen  grievance  redressal mechanisms,  and  enhance  stakeholders'  experience  across  India, including Odisha, as detailed below:

## In Respect of EPFO:

Auto  Claim  Settlement  Enhancements  -  The  auto  claim limit was increased from Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 5 Lakh in June 2025. In the current financial year 3,52,20,199 claims up to Rs 5 Lakh have been settled in auto mode up to 25.02.2026. The auto claim settlement  system  has  significantly  improved  efficiency  of  claim settlement. 71.37% of total advance claims have been settled in auto mode in the current Financial Year disbursing an amount of around Rs.51,620 Crores.

Pension  Disbursement  -  EPFO  rolled  out  Centralized Pension  Payment  System  (CPPS)  pan  India  Since  Jan  2025.  CPPS empowers pensioners to access their pension seamlessly from any bank, any branch, anywhere in the country.

DLC submission using Facial Authentication Technology (FAT) - Pensioners can now submit Digital Life Certificate (DLC) using

FAT by using Smart Phone anytime anywhere.

Free  doorstep  DLC  service  though  IPPB  -  EPFO  through India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has started free doorstep Digital Life Certificate (DLC) service to EPS'95 pensioners. Pensioners who are  unable  to  submit  DLC  using  FAT  themselves  can  avail  free doorstep services of IPPB to submit their DLC.

Nidhi Aapke Nikat 2.0 -Held every month at district level to  promote  direct  interaction  between  EPFO  and  stakeholders  for grievance redressal and awareness.

## In Respect of ESIC:

Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has implemented  a  comprehensive  digital  platform  as  part  of  its  egovernance initiatives to enhance delivery of social security services across the country, including in the State of Odisha.

The  platform  has  been  designed  to  provide  end-to-end online services to a wide range of stakeholders, including employers, providers, insured persons, ESIC  personnel,  third-party service government agencies, and suppliers.

Through  this  digital  ecosystem,  key  functions  such  as payment, disbursement  of  cash  benefits,  delivery  and  documentation  of medical services, and inventory management have been enabled in employer and beneficiary registration, contribution an integrated manner.

Further, the availability of online portals and mobile based applications has facilitated convenient access to benefit-related and improving transparency, efficiency, and accessibility of services, including in healthcare services for insured persons, thereby Odisha.

With regard to timeliness of EPFO claims, it is mandated that claims, complete in all respects, are to be settled within 20 days.

Further,  system  performance  and  service  delivery  have been strengthened through upgradation of IT infrastructure, including enhanced server capacity, bandwidth, and load management systems.

The performance of the Regions including Odisha regarding timeliness of claims is assessed through the monthly report and also visit by the senior officers.

(d): The  Government  has  undertaken  several  initiatives  to strengthen social security coverage under ESIC and EPF.

The  Government  has  launched  Employee  Enrollment Campaign (EEC) for expanding the coverage of EPF. It provides a onetime window for employers of all establishments to voluntarily enroll eligible employees who were left out of EPF coverage between 1st July 2017 and 31st October 2025.

Similarly,  the  Employees'  State  Insurance  Corporation (ESIC) has launched SPREE,2025 (Scheme to Promote Registration of Employers/Employees)  for  the  period  from  1st  July  2025  to  31st December,  2025  an d  extended  for  one  month's  period  up  to  31st January,  2026.  This  scheme  offers  a  one-time  opportunity  for employers and employees who may have been inadvertently left out of  ESI  coverage  to  register  without  concern  for  retrospective coverage or punitive action.

Further, the Code on Social Security (CoSS), 2020 extends EPFO coverage to all establishments and ESIC coverage to whole of the country.

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