Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) convened its 113th Executive Committee (EC) meeting of Central Board of Trustees (CBT) on March 29, 2025, in Srinagar.
Chaired by Sumita Dawra, Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the meeting brought together senior officials, representatives of employers and employees, and EPFO leadership to discuss key initiatives aimed at modernizing processes and enhancing service delivery.
The agenda focused on three critical areas: implementation of claim settlement through Unified Payments Interface (UPI), upgrades to the CITES 2.01 system, and the processing of applications for Pension on Higher Wages (PoHW).
UPI Integration for EPFO Claim Settlement
One of the highlights of the meeting was EPFO’s progress in integrating UPI into its claim settlement system.
This initiative, developed in collaboration with CDAC, SBI, and NPCI, aims to enable instant Provident Fund (PF) claim settlements, ensuring direct credit to members’ bank accounts.
The system is expected to go live by May 2025, offering members the ability to withdraw funds up to ₹1 lakh instantly for purposes such as medical expenses, housing, education, and marriage.
EC welcomed the proposal to increase the auto-claim limit to ₹5 lakh. It recognized this change as a significant step toward improving the ease of living for EPF subscribers.
The integration of UPI is anticipated to reduce claim processing time from several days to mere minutes, providing members with a streamlined and efficient experience.
CITES 2.01 System Upgrades
The meeting also reviewed progress of EPFO’s IT modernization project, CITES 2.01.
This initiative involves transitioning to a centralized database from the current decentralized system, aimed at improving efficiency and service delivery.
Key modules, including User Management, Centralized Payments, and a re-engineered Electronic Challan-cum-Return (ECR), are undergoing rigorous testing.
These modules will be deployed within the next two months.
EPFO successfully completed hardware upgrades and database consolidation, marking a significant milestone in its modernization efforts.
The new system will facilitate UAN-based accounting, enabling faster access to funds and simplifying the claim settlement process.
EC emphasized the importance of public awareness campaigns to highlight these reforms and their benefits to EPFO members.
Processing of EPFO Pension on Higher Wages
EC appreciated the substantial progress made in processing applications for Pension on Higher Wages, in compliance with Supreme Court directives.
EPFO reported a 22.8% increase in the number of processed applications. Additionally, EPFO issued 29.5% more demand letters compared to the previous month.
These improvements underscore EPFO’s commitment to implementing the court’s directives efficiently.
EPFO has issued clarifications addressing key aspects of pension computation, eligibility, and arrears.
These measures aim to ensure transparency and fairness in the processing of PoHW cases.
EC emphasized the importance of regional offices adhering to these guidelines. It also urged them to resolve concerns at the local level to avoid unnecessary escalation.
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