EPF Update: LANDMARK INTERIM ORDER OF Kerala High Court – Directed EPFO to Allow Employees / Pensioners to Submit Hard Copies of the Option under Para 26(6) of EPF Scheme

Kerala High Court Directed EPFO to Allow Employees / Pensioners to Submit Hard Copies of the Option under Para 26(6) of EPF Scheme. [Copy of Order attached]

“Kerala High Court on 12^th April, 2022,issued Interim Order w.r.t. various writ petitions filed before it, directing the EPFO (Employees Provident Fund Organisation) to do the following –

• either make adequate provisions in their online facility to enable the employees/pensioners to furnish the options in tune with the directions of the Honourable Supreme Court, without the production of the copies of option under paragraph 26(6) of the Scheme, 1952 and the details thereof, for the time being. ‘Or’
• If online arrangements cannot be made, the said mandatory requirement in the Option Form should be disabled and the members should be allowed to submit hard copies of the option. The necessary facilities and arrangements is to be made available to all the employees/pensioners within a period of ten days from the date of Order passed on 12^th April, 2022.

Currently in the Online facility, one of the mandatory details to be furnished in the said option form is the copy of the permission under para 26(6) of the Employees Provident Fund Scheme, 1952, without which the employees/pensioners cannot  successfully submit the online option. If they are not submitting their options on or before the cut-off date, i.e. 3.05.2023, they will be deprived of the benefits of the Scheme to which they are legally entitled. Hence the writ petition.

12.04.2023 – Kerala HC Order – Directing EPFO to allow Submission of Option under 26(6) in Hard Copy