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Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday, chaired a virtual review meeting to assess the performance of EPFO's Regional Offices, the Ministry of Labour and Employment said in a press release.
The discussion emphasized enhancing claim settlement efficiency, activating Universal Account Numbers (UAN), and expediting the Pension on Higher Wages (PoHW) Scheme, with a focus on improving service delivery and accountability. The meeting was attended by Sumita Dawra, Secretary (Labour & Employment); Ramesh Krishnamurthi, Central PF Commissioner; senior officers from the Ministry of Labour and Employment; and officers from 21 zonal and 140 regional offices of EPFO. The review focused on enhancing claim settlement efficiency, reducing claim rejections, activating Universal Account Numbers (UAN), and implementing the Pension on Higher Wages (PoHW) Scheme. The Secretary (Labour & Employment) briefed the minister about the recent initiatives undertaken by EPFO to improve service delivery, viz. simplification of the joint declaration process, elimination of the requirement for employers for PF account transfers, removal of the uploading di cheque leaf for claim settlement, etc., the Ministry stated. A detailed presentation was made by Ramesh Krishnamurthi, the CPFC, highlighting the performance of EPFO's Zonal Offices. The officer in charge of zonal offices shared their experiences and plan of action for enhanced service delivery with the union minister. Mandaviya emphasized that pension on higher wages (PoHW) and grievance redressal are priority areas. Officials were instructed to expedite the disposal of PoHW cases by strictly adhering to clarifications issued by EPFO recently. The Union Minister also underscored the necessity of completing preparatory work for the Employment-Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme to ensure its successful implementation. He directed officers to take all necessary steps so that UAN activation is completed for the maximum number of new members. Mandaviya further stressed that the zones and regional offices lagging in performance must focus on improving service delivery and highlighted the need for effective implementation, accountability and good governance. He directed the senior officials of EPFO to visit field offices for a review of work, preparing a plan for improvement of services, etc. This will enhance the work culture of EPFO, the Ministry added. He also encouraged EPFO to elevate its service quality and efficiency, thereby enhancing ease of living and transparency for members. He urged officers to administer services with integrity & empathy for the members. The next review meeting of EPFO Field Offices is scheduled for the next month, where progress will be further assessed. (ANI)
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