Explore Business Standard
The retirement fund body EPFO has disposed of nearly 99 per cent of the applications, seeking higher contributions for getting higher pension under the Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS) 1995, Parliament was informed on Monday. Minister of State for Labour & Employment Shobha Karandlaje stated in a written reply to Lok Sabha that the EPFO has taken action to implement the directions issued in the Supreme Court Judgement on November 4, 2022 in a time-bound manner. An online facility was provided and a total 17.49 lakh applications for validation of joint options were successfully submitted by pensioners/ members till last date i.e. July 11, 2023 out of which around 15.24 lakh applications were forwarded by employers to Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) till last date i.e. January 31, 2025, she informed the House. As on November 24, 2025, nearly 99 per cent of applications received in EPFO have been disposed of, she also stated. As per her reply, a total of 4,27,308 demand
Kerala Labour Minister V Sivankutty on Thursday made it clear that the Centre's Labour Codes would not be implemented in the state. Speaking to reporters here, Sivankutty said that the majority of the states have taken steps to implement the labour codes, but not Kerala. The minister further said that the Union Labour Ministry had called a meeting of all the states last month and there, Kerala had clearly indicated its stand that it would not implement the labour codes. When reporters asked whether the state succumbed to central pressure to prepare the draft regulations linked to the labour codes, he denied it. "If we were succumbing to central government pressure, we would have given a letter accepting the codes. we have not done that," he said. The draft regulation was notified in the state on December 14, 2021. He also asserted that the draft regulations were not prepared in secret. "It was done openly and I recommended in the file that public opinion be sought regarding it.