"Anyay-kaal": Congress' Jairam Ramesh slams Centre over rise in rejected EPF final settlement

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ANILast Updated: Mar 01, 2024, 11:36:00 AM IST

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Jairam Ramesh, Congress General Secretary, criticized the Centre for a reported increase in rejection rates of Employees Provident Fund (EPF) final settlements, citing it as a manifestation of the "anyay kaal" (era of injustice) of the last decade. He highlighted rising rejection rates, reaching 34%, and attributed the issue to the mismanaged shift to an online claims processing system, causing stress for workers.

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Congress General Secretary in-charge communications, Jairam Ramesh, slammed the Centre on Friday over the reported rise in rejection rates of the Employees Provident Fund final settlement, claiming that the defining feature of the "anyay kaal" of the last 10 years has been that no community could get their full due.

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"The defining feature of the Anyay-kaal of the last ten years has been that no community is able to get its full due: women are left out of the job market, the youth are unable to seek employment, and the farmers are unable to get adequate prices," Jairam Ramesh posted on X.

The Congress leader shared a report that claimed the rejection rates of the EPF final settlement were rising from around 13 per cent in 2017-2018 to 34 per cent in 2022-2023.

"Even the shramik, the worker who earns his living through wages, is unable to access his/her own earnings. The EPFO, the government-run organisation that administers the Provident Fund for India's workers, has seen a sharp rise in rejection rates for the final settlement of Provident Fund (PF) claims. Around one in three claims for the final settlement of PF is now rejected - up from 13 per cent in 2017-18. Each rejection is a slap in the face for our working families and a cause of immense stress and anguish to them," he added.

He further said that the mismanaged shift to an online system for processing claims is the key reason for this denial.

"At least one retired worker has been driven to commit suicide by the insensitive and bureaucratic policies of the EPFO. @INCIndia's Paanch Nyay Agenda, of which Shramik Nyay is a core principle - will ensure that no worker or their family will ever be denied the full due of their labour," he added.

EPFO is a social security organisation responsible for providing social security benefits in the form of provident, Pension and insurance funds to the organised workforce of the country.

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