NCOA Approaches Central PF Commissioner To Resolve Complications In Filing Options

The National Confederation Of Officers’ Associations, which is the National Forum of the Executives of Central Public Sector Enterprises, has sent a letter to The Central Provident Fund Commissioner, asking for her intervention in issues being faced by employees in submitting online option of higher pension. The apex body has also asked for extension of the last date of option exercise. The letter sent by the NCOA is given below for the benefit of the viewers of www.indianpsu.com –

To
The Central PF Commissioner
Provident Fund Organization
BCP, New Delhi

Subject: Issues being faced by employees in submitting online option of higher pension – request to further extend the last date of option exercise.

Ref 1: Hon’ble Kerala High Court at Ernakulam judgment dated 12-Apr-2023 in WP©No.9979 of 2023.

Ref 2: EPFO Circular No. Pension/2022/56259/16241 dated 20/02/2023.

Ref 3: RPFC-1 Chennai and Puducherry circular No. ZACC/C-9(HP)/2022/44956//2023 dated 12-4-2023

Respected Madam,

Refer to the above, your kind attention is invited on the difficulties facing by the employees in submission of online joint option due to some following reasons

1. Majority of pensioners are unable to submit online options due to some problems like “Name (Spelling mismatch), Non linking of UAN with Adhar, Non mapping UAN with PPO, Non mapping UAN with Adhar, delay in issuance of certificate by Employer under para 26(6) etc.”
2. In respect of pensioners who do not have an UAN/ Having UAN not linked with Adhar/ Name mismatch/ Spelling difference/DoB difference and Date of Joining difference in UAN and presently approaching their employer and regional PF Commissioners for correction of the above. The process of rectification of above issues is taking time in completion of Request by Employee —> approval recommendation by Employer —-> Final approval by EPFO
3. Employees are not able to download their passbooks from EPFO portal due to technical/ application error and submission is not possible without this document being mandatory.
4. In case the pensioners / members are unable to submit online joint options on account of above errors and time taken in rectification, may approach legal forums seeking relief as they are unable to submit online options by the system due to these technical issues.
5. Hon’ble High Court of Kerala in its judgment dated 12-Apr-2023 directed EPFO to make adequate provision in EPFO online application form for submission of Higher EPF pension by removal the demand of copy of option under paragraph 26(6) of the scheme to enable employees and pensioners to furnish the option in tune with the direction of Hon’ble Supreme Court in judgment dated 04-Nov-2022. If appropriate modification cannot be made in an online facility, permission may please be granted to submit the request in hard copies.
6. Applicants are also facing technical difficulties during online submission i.e. non-working of EPFO Website properly, Delay response from server, auto log out due to timed out in between etc.
7. Submission online is not an easy task to all these beneficiaries as many of them are not tech savvy. It may also be considered that most of the retirees have settled at their native places i.e. villages where internet connectivity is very limited and It is not easy for them to fill online options.

In view of above facts your kind attention is invited to direct all the concerned units to resolve the day-to-day issues reported by the beneficiaries without any delay to enable them in filing the option well in time. It is also requested to extend the last date of submission for at least one month so that no one will be deprived from getting his legitimate right of higher pension, else there will be great injustice to them.