E-Paper
Pune ZP directed to deposit ₹1,084 cr towards PF dues for 9,015 anganwadi workers
Regional Provident Fund Commissioner directed Pune Zilla Parishad (ZP) to deposit ₹1,084.14 crore towards provident fund dues for 9,015 workers, mainly anganwadi sevikas and helpers
PUNE: In a major ruling, the Regional Provident Fund Commissioner (RPFC) directed the Pune Zilla Parishad (ZP) to deposit about ₹1,084.14 crore towards provident fund (PF) dues for 9,015 workers, mainly anganwadi sevikas and helpers.
In a detailed 233-page order dated February 2, a copy of which was made available on Thursday, RPFC-I Amit Vashist held that anganwadi sevikas (workers) and anganwadi madatnis (helpers) are employees of the Pune Zilla Parishad for provident fund benefits.
The order covers nearly 38 years — from October 1986 to March 2024. According to the ruling, the Zilla Parishad (ZP) must deposit ₹1,084,13,74,635 within 60 days into the workers’ PF accounts, following employee-wise details listed in Annexure-I of the order. If the amount is not deposited within the stipulated period, recovery proceedings will be initiated.
The order states that interest under Section 7Q of the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, has already been calculated up to March 2024, while any further interest will be recovered separately. Proceedings to impose damages under Section 14B of the Act will also be initiated.
Under Paragraph 32 of the Employees’ Provident Fund Scheme, 1952, the ZP has been directed to pay both the employer’s and the employee’s share of PF contributions. The commissioner also clarified that the employee’s share must not be recovered from workers’ future salaries or deducted from past dues.
The PF commissioner further warned that the determination is based on records submitted by the ZP and any manipulation or submission of false evidence would invite civil and criminal action.
The ruling follows a long-running dispute involving thousands of workers, mainly anganwadi sevikas, helpers and ASHA workers. The workers were represented by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Pune, during the proceedings under Section 7A of the EPF Act.
The proceedings began after an inspection conducted by the PF office in September 2024. According to the inspection report dated September 18, 2024, the PF inspection team visited the ZP office on September 5 and sought details regarding the engagement of contract labour and other employees. As the required documents were not submitted, authorities initiated proceedings under Section 7A of the EPF Act.
Subsequently, the records submitted by the ZP were examined by the PF inspection team, which submitted reports on September 17, 2025, and January 7, 2026.
The inspection noted that the ZP engages workers in multiple categories, including regular staff, contractual employees and workers hired through contractors. Regular employees are covered under the General Provident Fund (GPF) and state government pension rules.
The report also found that apart from contract staff in certain departments, the ZP engages a large workforce under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and the National Health Mission. These include ASHA workers, ardhvel parichars, anganwadi sevikas and anganwadi madatnis, who are paid a consolidated honorarium.
According to the inspection findings, provident fund contributions were not deposited for these categories of workers.
The Pune Zilla Parishad, however, strongly contested the liability in a detailed reply submitted on October 29, 2025. It argued that ASHA workers, ardhvel parichars, anganwadi sevikas and anganwadi madatnis are engaged strictly under government schemes and are paid a fixed honorarium rather than a salary.
The ZP further stated that the government resolutions governing these schemes do not provide for provident fund benefits and therefore the workers are not eligible for membership under the EPF Act.
