Advisor to Governor, Khursheed Ahmad Ganai chaired the 81st meeting of Board of Trustees of J&K Employees Provident Fund Organization here today.The meeting was also attended by Financial Commissioner Finance, AK Mehta, Principal Secretary Industries & Commerce, Navin Chaudhary Commissioner Secretary Labour & Employment, Surab Bhaghat, Provident Fund Commissioner, Bashir Ahmad Khan, Managing Director J&K Industries Limited, Javid Iqbal, President Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh J&K Jammu and President J&K People Democratic Trade Union Jammu.Ganai, who is also the chairman of the Board, appreciated the organisation for completing digitization of 5.38 Lakh EPF subscribers of the organization and adding 730 new establishments in last financial year, taking the total live membership from 4.23 lakhs to 5.11 lakh.The Board was apprised that the organisation has received Rs 483.23 crores during the financial year 2018-19 and settled 28786 Provident Fund claims involving Rs 257.82 Crore in the same period.It was given out that Rs 2.84 Crore were recovered from the defaulters during the financial year 2018-19.
While discussing the agenda of the meeting, the Board approved the budget of Rs 2231.385 lakh for the financial year 2019-20 and authorized the Chairman to finalize the budget allocation for construction of Combined Command and Control Centre and Record Room, etc. in both the divisions for ease of subscribers and effective enforcement of the Provident Fund Act.The Board further decided that the organisation must complete its Balance Sheets from the financial year 2015-16 to 2018-19 and submit the same to the Board before 20-Oct-2019 as mandated vide circular No. 416-F of 2019, Dated: 23.08.2019 of State Finance Department.With regard to the other agenda items like amendment in recruitment rules and cadre review, audit, annual maintenance charges and engagement of legal advisors, the Board approved all such proposals except declaration/increasing of payout rate of interest on provident fund accumulation, construction of offices complexes at various places and launching of employees pension scheme in J&K as the organisation is in transitory phase after the repeal of State Provident Fund Act.Further the President Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh urged on engagement of legal advisor in the organisation at divisional level so that the pending court cases are vigorously followed in the courts and interests of poor provident fund subscribers are effectively protected.The Board agreed with the submission of President Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh and asked Administrative Secretary Labour and Employment Department to move a proposal to the Chairman (Board of Trustees) for finalizing the engagement of legal advisors in the organisation.