EPFO Delhi West office settles 4.4 lakh claims in 150 days of lockdown

New Delhi: Retirement fund body EPFO's Delhi West office has settled 4.4 lakh withdrawal claims and 86 per cent of these were settled in less than three days during the 150 days of lockdown, a top official of the body said.

The EPFO Delhi West celebrated processing of 100 per cent distress claims for non-stop 150 days on Wednesday where Anil Swarup, former Union Coal & Education Secretary and author, released an e-book titled 'Humans of EPFO Delhi West'.

The book is inspired by the Indian photo blog- ‘Humans of Bombay'. It honours the faces behind the scene who through social protection interventions, contributed in containing national economic distress. The release was done digitally.

Swarup, the author of 'Ethical Dilemmas of a Civil Servant', said that in public governance, "we miss appreciation and a simple pat on the back which can do wonders".

"The initiative, therefore, is commendable especially, in times of severely constrained COVID situation. EPFO which is essentially an enforcement agency has successfully presented its welfare character. This is a welcome example of what public governance ought be."

Writing a foreword, Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar expressed that the EPFO Delhi West has strengthened social accountability through public review of its performance using social media on a daily basis.

This is an exemplary model of dedication and team spirit in public governance worth emulating, he added.

"The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) Delhi West office has processed 4.4 lakh claims and 86 per cent of those in less than three days working non-stop during 150 days of lockdown," EPFO Delhi West Commissioner Uttam Prakash said in statement.

Delhi West has disbursed some Rs 180 crore in the COVID category since the beginning of the pandemic. 100 per cent claims in this category have been processed within 24 hours for non-stop 150 days.

During this period, a total of 4.4 lakh claims were received. Close to 90 per cent were processed within 3 days, the statement said.

Prakash said that despite working with 50 per cent staff, the office has processed 30 per cent more claims as compared to the corresponding period last year.

Roughly 40,000 member updation requests were also processed to ease out online claims. No grievance in the COVID category remained unattended for more than a day, he added.

The EPFO is the social security provider in the country that provides income support to workers in times of various contingencies including a pandemic through provident fund, pension post retirement and an employer funded insurance up to Rs 7 lakh for untimely death in service.

Special COVID Claims provision was introduced by the Government of India in the wake of this pandemic. The purpose was to support the workers to contain economic distress.