Rachna Khaira

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 13

The Employees and Provident Fund Office (EPFO) has begun to scrutinise the employee records of contractors hired by the Military Engineering Services (MES) and also by the Ex-servicemen Contributory Health fund (ECHS).According to Dheeraj Gupta, Regional Provident Fund Commissioner, the Central Provident Fund Commissioner had taken up the matter with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to issue necessary directions to the offices concerned of the MES and ECHS to comply under the EPF and MF Act 1952. In this regard, the MoD asked the ECHS polyclinics concerned to register online through their respective station headquarters.“It may be possible that the regional centres may not have the PAN cards for online registrations. In such cases, their registration may be completed at the respective regional EPF portal registration and secure the compliance,” said Gupta. He further added that the regional office has already begun the enrolment campaign 2017.Applicability of EPF to ECHS contractual staffThe EPF is applicable to all staff members of the ECHS who are drawing contractual fees equal or less than Rs 15,000.The station headquarters are required to liaison with the regional PF officials for online registrations. Online registrations can only be done at the PF office. There is no requirement of PAN for government establishments, including the station headquarter. Online registrations can be done with the TAN number also.In case the staff is hired through a contractual agency, all labour laws are required to be followed by the same service provider. It is for the station headquarters to ensure that the staff receives contractual fees as authorised by the government and the PF contribution is deposited accordingly.