9 lakh workers covered under PF scheme in Coimbatore region
Nearly nine lakh workers employed across 7,987 establishments in the Coimbatore–Nilgiris region are currently covered under the Provident Fund (PF) scheme, Regional PF Commissioner-1 k.Prashant said on Tuesday.
Addressing the media, the official from the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) said a employees enrollment campaign
(EEC) is being conducted in Coimbatore to bring eligible workers who were left out of the PF net into the social security system. The special drive, which began on November 1, will continue until April 30.
He said declarations submitted after April 30 would not be considered under the scheme.
The one-time incentive scheme allows registered factories and commercial establishments to enrol eligible employees who had not been previously registered under EPFO. It also enables employers to voluntarily correct past non-compliance with reduced penalties, thereby expanding social security coverage.
Eligible beneficiaries include employees who joined service between July 1, 2017, and October 31, 2024, were eligible for PF coverage but were not enrolled earlier, and who are alive and continuing in service on the date of declaration.
All employee details must be submitted online through the EPFO portal, and a Universal Account Number (UAN) must be generated for each declared employee using face authentication via the UMANG mobile application. Contributions should be remitted through the Electronic Challan-cum-Return (ECR) by linking the temporary return reference number generated during the declaration process.
Under the scheme, employers will receive a complete waiver of the employee’s contribution, even if it had not been deducted earlier. However, the employer must pay the employer’s contribution along with interest under Section 7Q and administrative charges. A nominal payment of ₹100 will suffice towards damages under the EPF, EPS and EDLI schemes.
Only one declaration per establishment is permitted under the scheme. Employers enrolling workers or newly registering establishments under this initiative may also be eligible for benefits under the Prime Minister’s Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana, subject to fulfilment of prescribed conditions.
Employers may approach the EPFO office on Balasundaram Road in Coimbatore for assistance or visit www.epfindia.gov.in for further details.
— Special Correspondent