3,000 firms yet to provide staff’s Aadhaar to EPFO

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, January 10

Nearly 3,000 private and government establishments in the region have not yet linked Aadhaar cards of their employees with the regional office of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). It is mandatory under the orders of the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment to link Aadhaar numbers of employees with the EPFO.

The regional office comprises eight districts of Panchkula, Ambala, Yamunanagar, Karnal, Kaithal, Kurukshetra, Panipat and Sonepat.

According to the organisation, nearly 2,31,473 employees are working in 5,421 establishments in these districts. The Aadhaar numbers of 1.15 lakh employees have been linked with the EPFO so far. Out of 5,421, nearly 3,000 organisations have not linked even a single Aadhaar card of their employees. The EPFO is going to issue show-cause notices to the establishments for non-compliance of the directions of the ministry.

“It is mandatory for all establishments to link Aadhaar of their employees with the EPFO. The ministry issued notification on January 4 also, but we have been working on it for the last several days and have got success in linking around 1.15 lakh Aadhaar numbers with the EPFO,” said Mohammad Shariq, Regional Provident Fund Commissioner.

All pensioners as well as members would have to provide Aadhaar details or proof that they had applied for it by January 31 to continue with services provided by the EPFO, he said.

“Around 41,000 pensioners have to submit their Aadhaar-based digital-life certificates at the regional office, banks or common service centre,” he said. Of the total 41,000 pensioners, only 2,000 had submitted their certificates so far, he added. Those who failed to submit their certificates would not get pension from February 1, he said. “It has come to light that several establishments have taken it casually and it will be considered as an intentional violation of the directions. Legal action will be initiated against such firms,” he said.