A new app is being launched for the retired employee’s fund body by the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). The retired employees who are the members of EPFO will now be able to settle their claims like EPF withdrawal via a new mobile app called as UMANG.
While conferring a written reply to Lok Sabha, The Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya said: “ The EPFO is developing an app to settle the claims process by receiving the applications online”.
He added, “The application will be confederated with the Unified Mobile Application For New-age Governance (UMANG) to receive the claim applications online. Although, the expected time duration to roll out the process has not been finalized”.
For the settlement of EPF withdrawals, the EPFO receives almost 1 crore applications manually, also for pension fixation, getting group insurance benefit by decreased numbers.
The EPFO has 110 regional offices from which 123 field formations have already been associated with the central server, explained by a senior officer. He also added a technical requirement is in need to connect all the regional offices with the central server to roll out the facility without any troubles.
The EPFO’s Central Provident Fund Commissioner previously in February had said, “The operation of connecting all the field offices with the central server is already in process. The EPFO may initiate this facility for online submission of an application to claim the EPF withdrawals and pension settlement in the month of May”.
The EPFO is determined to settle the claims within few hours after receiving the applications. From few hours it means, the plan is to settle the EPF withdrawal claim within three hours of the application.
According to the scheme, it has become necessary for the EPFO to settle all the claims within 20 days from the date of an application filed for settlement of pension or EPF withdrawal.
The minister also notified the House that the EPFO has enlisted the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) as their technical consultant in order to upgrade the technology and C-DAC will be installing the latest equipment at its three data centers situated in Gurugram, Delhi, and Secunderabad.
An official has spoken that the Aadhaar and bank account details with the universal (PF) Account Number (UAN) are required for settling the claims online.
In a riposte to the House, the minister said that from 3.76 crores contributing member as of 31 March 2016, 1.68 crore members have linked their Aadhaar with UAN.
The Employees Provident Fund Organisation has made it obligatory for its subscribers to provide bank account details including IFSC Codes and Aadhaar.