Suvidha providers to help resolve PF-related issues, says Mandaviya

The facilitators will enhance access for workers, especially first-time users and those unfamiliar with digital systems, acting as a “bridge between citizens and EPFO”, Mandaviya said

The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) will soon appoint “Suvidha providers” to act as a guide to subscribers and help them access benefits, such as cash withdrawals, and resolve issues, said Union labour minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya said all upcoming and several existing EPFO offices were being redeveloped into modern, technology-enabled centres on the lines of Passport Seva Kendras. (HT Photo)

The facilitators will enhance access for workers, especially first-time users and those unfamiliar with digital systems, acting as a “bridge between citizens and EPFO”, the minister said on Tuesday.

Speaking on upcoming reforms, the minister said all upcoming and several existing EPFO offices were being redeveloped into modern, technology-enabled centres on the lines of Passport Seva Kendras.

The new offices will act as single-window centres for resolving any PF-related issues. “A beneficiary would be able to get his/her issues addressed at any regional office, doing away with the need to approach a specific office he/she has been previously associated with. A pilot is underway in Delhi,” the minister said.

Provident funds provide retirement income and a financial safety net for nearly 70-million salaried Indians. It is often the key corpus of lifetime savings of working people. Under the PF Act, all firms with 20 or more employees must register with the EPFO. An employer and worker are both required by law to contribute 12% of a person’s basic salary towards a corpus managed by the EPFO.