CHENNAI: As part of efforts to provide the best service to members and also to increase coverage, the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is reengineering its processes, the Central Provident Fund Commissioner, Anirudh Rai, said here.

At a press conference, he said the "reinventing EPF India" project would initially be introduced at Kota, Mangalore, Hyderabad, Indore, Patna and Delhi by the end of this financial year. It would be rolled out to other EPF offices by the end of 2006.

Software to be integrated

To questions, he said the project was started in 2001, but it got delayed. The organisation had now received eight modules of software. Three more would be available by December. All the modules would be integrated to serve as the application software.

After the project implementation, the EPFO would be able to change its accounting system from the present single entry to the double entry system. Accounts would be maintained on a real-time basis. Also, there would be segregation of front and back-end services, and settlement of claims would be done within two or three days as against the present one month. At times, it would be able to settle claims online. "We will be able to give the best services to our members," and members could get their settlement in any EPF office as all the offices would be interlinked.

Mr. Rai said the EPFO planned to increase membership coverage. It had 4.11 crore members, but the total number of workers in the country was 40 crores. "The remaining workers should also be covered. It is a great challenge."

To a question, he said for covering more workers, the Provident Fund Act needed to be amended. At present, it was applicable to only 180 kinds of industries that had been notified. Also, the Act covered only those establishments that had 20 employees or more. "Why not reduce the number," he asked. The organisation had sent its recommendations to the Government.

The 14-digit National Social Security Number had been allotted to 32 lakh cards, of which 10 lakh had been issued.

A. Mahendra Raju, Regional Provident Fund Commissioner-I, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, said the regional office covered about 25 lakh members and 24,000 establishments.

Mr. Rai laid the foundation for the new Chennai regional office, to be built at an estimated cost of Rs. 3.57 crores.

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