ज्या लोकांना कर्मचारी भविष्य निर्माण निधी प्राधिकारणाकडून (EPFO) पेन्शन मिळते किंवा मिळणार आहे त्याच्या पगारातून जास्तीतजास्त ₹1250/- प्रतिमास वर्गणी कापून घेतली जाते याहून अधिक पगार असलेले काही अटींची पूर्तता करून आणि अधिक वर्गणी देऊन वाढीव पेन्शन मिळण्यास पात्र आहेत. सर्वोच्च न्यायालयाच्या अपिलीय प्राधिकारणाने 04 नोव्हेंबर 2022 रोजी यासंबंधी ऐतिहासिक निर्णय दिला असून ज्यांना वाढीव पेन्शन हवे असेल त्यांना तशी मागणी करण्यास 4 महिन्याची मुदत दिली आहे. जाणकारांच्या मते कर्मचारी आणि मालक यांनी यासंबधी संयुक्त निवेदन इपीएफओकडे जरुरी आहे. यासाठी निश्चित पद्धत ठरवून देण्यासाठी न्यायालयाने चार महिन्याची मुदत इपीएफओस दिली होती. सध्या यासंबधी येणाऱ्या बातम्या गोंधळात भर घालणाऱ्या असल्या तरी स्पष्ट मार्गदर्शन लवकरच मिळेल आणि विहित कालावधीत ही प्रक्रिया पूर्ण होईल तरी यासंबंधात स्वारस्य असलेल्या लोकांनी ही तारीख लक्षात ठेवावी आणि यापूर्वी होणाऱ्या हालचालींचा मागोवा घ्यावा.
कॅलेंडर वर्षातील महत्वाच्या अंतिम तारखा या शिर्षकाने 13 जानेवारी रोजी अर्थसाक्षरवर प्रकाशित झालेल्या लेखात कर्मचारी भविष्य निधी प्राधिकरण यांच्याकडून सर्वोच्च न्यायालयाच्या आदेशानुसार 1 नोव्हेंबर 2014 नंतर हजेरीपटावर असलेले किंवा त्यानंतर निवृत्त झालेले अथवा स्वेच्छानिवृत्ती स्वीकारलेले कर्मचारी वाढीव पेन्शन मिळण्यास पात्र आहेत असा उल्लेख होता आणि यासंबंधी न्यायालयाने अंतिम तारीख दिली असून ती 3 मार्च 2023 आहे. यासंबंधी EPFO कडून काल खालील पत्रक प्रकाशित झाले आहे.
Parveen Kohli 20.02.2023
ईपीएफओ, मुख्य कार्यालय
श्रम एवं रोजगार मंत्रालय, भारत सरकार भविष्य निधि भवन, 14. भीकाजी कामा प्लेस, नई दिल्ली 110066
EPFO, HEAD OFFICE
MINISTRY OF LABOUR & EMPLOYMENT, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA BHAVISHYA NIDHI BHAWAN, 14, BHIKAUJI CAMA PLACE, NEW DELHI 110066
No. Pension/2022/56259//654/
To
Date: 20.02.2023
20 FEB 2023
All Addl. CPFCs, Zonal Offices All RPFCS/OICs, Regional Offices
Sub: Instructions in compliance of orders contained in Para 44 (iii) & (iv) read with Para 44(v) of Hon’ble Supreme Court judgement dated 04.11.2022 in the matter of Special Leave Petition (C) Nos. 8658-8659 of 2019.
Madam/ Sir,
1.In compliance of the above said orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court and directions of the Central Government, it is directed as under:
2. The field offices should implement the directions contained in Para 44(iii) & (iv)
read with Para 44(v) of the judgement dated 04.11.2022 of the Hon’ble Supreme Court
within the stipulated timeline.
3. As may be seen, the Hon’ble Supreme Court has pronounced judgement dated 04.11.2022 in the matter of Special Leave Petition (C) Nos. 8658-8659 of 2019. The relevant directions of the Court with respect to the above-mentioned subject are as follows:
“44 (iii) The employees who had exercised option under the proviso to paragraph 11(3) of the 1995 scheme and continued to be in service as on 1st September 2014, will be guided by the amended provisions of paragraph 11(4) of the pension scheme”.
“44(iv) The members of the scheme, who did not exercise option, as contemplated in the proviso to paragraph 11(3) of the pension scheme (as it was before the 2014 Amendment) would be entitled to exercise option under paragraph 11(4) of the post amendment scheme. Their right to exercise option before 1st September 2014 stands crystallised in the judgment of this Court in the case of R.C. Gupta (supra). The scheme as it stood before 1st September 2014 did not provide for any cut-off date and thus those members shall be entitled to exercise option in terms of paragraph 11(4) of the scheme, as it stands at present. Their exercise of option shall be in the nature of joint options covering pre-amended paragraph 11(3) as also the amended paragraph 11(4) of the pension scheme. There was uncertainty as regards validity of the post amendment scheme, which was quashed by the aforesaid judgments of the three High Courts. Thus, all the employees who did not exercise option but were entitled to do so but could not due to the interpretation on cut-off date by the authorities, ought to be given a further chance to exercise their option. Time to exercise option under paragraph 11(4) of the scheme, under these circumstances, shall stand extended by a further period of four months. We are giving this direction in exercise of our jurisdiction under Article 142 of the Constitution of India. Rest of the requirements as per the amended provision shall be complied with”.
“44 (v) The employees who had retired prior to 1st September 2014 without exercising any option under paragraph 11(3) of the pre-amendment scheme have already exited from the membership thereof. They would not be entitled to the benefit of this judgment.”
4. Accordingly, the employees who did not exercise option as contemplated in the proviso to paragraph 11(3) of the Pension Scheme (as it was before the 2014 Amendment) would be entitled to exercise joint option under erstwhile para 11(3) & existing para 11(4) within the aforesaid extended period of four months. The employees who had exercised option under Para 11(3) of EPS 1995 and continued to be in service on or after 01.09.2014 will be guided by the amended provisions of paragraph 11(4) of the pension scheme, i.e. if they had not exercised the option within the time specified under Para 11(4), such employees shall not be eligible to exercise option within the extended period of four months.
5. Therefore, in compliance of the Hon’ble Supreme Court judgement dated 04.11.2022, following employees with their employers may submit joint option under para 11(3) and 11(4) to the concerned Regional Office:
i. The employees and employers who had contributed under paragraph 26(6) of EPF Scheme on salary exceeding the prevalent wage ceiling of Rs 5000/- or 6500/-; and
ii. did not exercise joint option under the proviso to Para 11(3) of the pre- amendment scheme (since deleted) while being members of EPS,95; and iii. were members prior to 01.09.2014 and continued to be a member on or after
01.09.2014.
6. The manner in which such employees would apply to the concerned Regional Office is as follows:
i. The request will be made in such form and manner, as may be specified by the Commissioner.
ii. The joint option will contain the disclaimer and declaration as may be s therein.
ii In case of share requiring adjustment from Provident Fund to Pension. and if any re-deposit to the fund, explicit consent of the employee will be given in the joint option form.
7. The above application forms when received in the time period specified in the Joint Option Form will be dealt with in the following manner by the Regional P.F. Commissioner:
i. A facility will be provided for which URL will be informed shortly. Once received,
the Regional P. F. Commissioner shall put up adequate notice on the notice board and banners for wider public information.
ii. Each application will be registered and digitally logged. The receipt number will be provided to the applicant.
iii. The application will land into the employer’s login whose verification with Digital
Signature/ e-sign will be essential for further processing. iv. RPFC will cause each application to be converted into e-file, as far as possible.
V. The concerned dealing assistant will examine the papers including the note on receipt of due amount in the Pension Fund, and mark the case to Section Supervisor/Account Officer.
vi. The concerned SS/AO will mark out discrepancies, if any and send it after due examination, with the rule position to APFC/RPFC-II for deciding the case.
vii. The concerned APFC/RPFC-II shall examine each case of joint option on higher salary and the decision shall be intimated to the applicant through e- mail/post. Efforts will be made to intimate them through telephone/SMS also.
8. Officer-in charge of the concerned Regional Office will send a weekly monitoring report to the respective zonal office. Zonal Office will also report the aggregate position
of the zones weekly to the Pension Division at Head Office.
9. Any grievance by the applicant can be registered on EPFIGMS after submission of his joint option form and payment of due contribution, if any. The registration of such grievance shall be under specified category of higher pension with reference to Supreme Court Judgment dated 04.11.2022. All such grievances shall be addressed and disposed of at the level of Nominated Officer. Grievances will be monitored by the Officer in-charge of Regional Office and Zonal Office.
10. These directions are issued in compliance of the judgement dated 04.11.2022 of Hon’ble Supreme Court for immediate implementation.
11. This circular is being issued in addition to earlier instructions dated 29.12.2022
& 05.01.2023 issued on this subject.
[This issues with the approval of CPFC.]
Yours faithfully
(Aprajita Jaggi) Regional PF Commissioner-I (Pension)
Copy To:
1. PS to Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Labour and Employment.
2. Under Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Labour & Employment with reference to letter No. R-15011/03/2022-SS-II dated 15.02.2023.
3. PS to CPFC.
4. All ACCS HQ and ACCS at H.O for information & necessary action. Further for online applications, URL may please be informed to field offices by ISD.
5. Rajbhasha section for providing Version in Hindi.
iv. In case of transfer of funds from exempted provident fund trust to pension fund of EPFO, an undertaking of the trustee shall be submitted. The undertaking shall be to the effect that due contribution along with interest up to the date of payment, will be deposited within the specified period.
V. In case of employees of unexempted establishments, refund of requisite employer’s share of contribution, the same shall be deposited with interest at the rate declared under Para 60 of EPF Scheme, 1952, till the date of actual refund.
vi. The method of deposit and that of computation of pension will follow
through subsequent circular.
vii. Aforesaid joint option must contain the proof of remittance of employer’s share in Provident Fund on higher wages exceeding the prevalent wage ceiling of Rs. 5,000/6,500 and proof of joint option under Para 26(6) of EPF Scheme duly verified by the employer.
अशा प्रकारे EPFO ने वरील परिपत्रक काढले असून ज्यांना वाढीव पेन्शन हवे आहे त्या सर्वांनी त्वरित हालचाल करणे जरुरीचे असून अस्थापनेने ठरवलेल्या पद्धतीने ऑनलाइन अथवा ऑफलाईन आपला देकार कळवायला हवा आहे. या पत्रकानुसार त्याची काय पद्धत आहे ती समजून घ्यावी, यात अंदाजे किती रक्कम भरावी लागेल ते समजेल असे सांगितले जाणार आहे. ही रक्कम कधी भरायची, सर्वाना (विशेषतः जे निवृत्त झाले आहेत किंवा ज्यांनी स्वेच्छानिवृत्ती स्वीकारली आहे) रक्कम भरण्यास पुरेशी मुदत मिळणे (किमान 2 महिने) जरुरीचे आहे.
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(लेखक मुंबई ग्राहक पंचायत या स्वयंसेवी संस्थेचे पदाधिकारी असून लेखातील मते वैयक्तिक आहेत.)
