J&K staff integration: EPFO sticks to 2019 cutoff, sparks concern

The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is finalising its approach to integrating employees from the erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) EPFO following the region’s reorganisation in October 2019, according to multiple people aware of the matter.

- AUHONA MUKHERJEE

The merger stems from the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, which brought the region’s administrative framework in line with central laws. As part of this transition, social security functions handled by the erstwhile J&K EPFO were brought under EPFO, requiring the integration of employees, records, and liabilities. A Central Advisory Committee under the Ministry of Home Affairs recommended that staff continue in their existing roles until the transfer of assets and liabilities is completed, while giving employees the option to be absorbed either into the Union Territory government or into EPFO, the people said. The framework for absorption was okayed by the Central Board of Trustees (CBT) at its 228th meeting in 2021, and communicated to employees in 2022. Under this framework, employees are to be absorbed based on their position as of October 31, 2019.