'EPF Act amendments will bring more people under coverage'

The proposed amendments to the Employees' Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, will bring more people under its coverage, Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya said here today.
"The main proposal is to bring coverage to every establishment employing ten or more people, down from the 20 now," he said.
"This will ensure a wider coverage and extension o social security benefits to uncovered areas. It will add another 50 lakh new members and bring them under the social security net of EPF Act," Dattatreya told reporters here.
The 'Schedule of Industries' provided in the Act has already grown to more than 182 industries and the government proposes to do away with it and introduce a 'Negative List' (specifying the exempted sectors) instead, he said.

"Simplification of definition of 'Wages' is proposed. It will not be less than minimum wages," he said, adding that to expedite dispute settlement, it is proposed to set up zonal appellate tribunals all over India in addition to the existing one in Delhi.
The minister further said EPFO had issued 4.35 crore Universal Account Numbers (UAN) of which 10 per cent, that is about 44 lakh, had been activated.

"We are shortly introducing a toll-free number where if members who have activated UAN give a missed call they will get an SMS instantly showing balance in the PF account."
Presently all members who have activated UAN get SMS every month on deposit of contribution by the employer.

"We are depositing approximately 50 lakh pensions on the first working day of the month through technology across the country. We are also working to extend the social security benefits to the workers of unorganised sector, bringing a large numbers of workers under social security umbrella," Dattatreya added.