EPFO cracks whip on 700 PF trusts for not filing returns

Retirement fund body EPFO said it has asked its field offices to take action against erring 700 PF trusts that have not filed online returns.

The Central Provident Fund Commissioner after a review found that more than 700 exempted establishments (private PF trusts) did not file online returns, the EPFO said in a statement.

In order to protect the interest of the workers, the Central Provident Fund Commissioner has issued directions to all the field offices to ensure filing of the online returns by all the exempted establishments and take appropriate action against the defaulting establishments as per law including cancellation of exemption, the statement said.

Besides, the EPFO has asked these trusts to provide online services to their 84 lakh members through SMS on mobile phones, emails or mobile e-passbook within two days of receipt of PF contributions.

The EPFO in 2014 made it mandatory for private PF trusts to file returns online. These trusts manage the PF money and account of their workers themselves on the condition that they would provide all the benefits to members at par with those provided in the Employee Provident Fund Scheme, 1952.