EPFO Uttarakhand Covers 7.74 Lakh Members, New Digital Reforms and ‘Samvedana’ Initiative Take Centre Stage

Dehradun, July 3: The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation) Uttarakhand Region has made significant progress in expanding social security coverage and improving citizen-centric services, with 9,744 contributing establishments and over 7.74 lakh contributing members currently registered across the state.

This was highlighted by Additional Central Provident Fund Commissioner Ajay K. Mehra, who addressed a press conference at the EPFO Regional Office in Dehradun on Friday. During the interaction, he shared key achievements, policy reforms, and major digital initiatives undertaken by EPFO in the Uttarakhand region.

Ajay K. Mehra stated that all EPFO claims in Uttarakhand are currently being settled within the prescribed timelines, reflecting the efficiency of the regional office. He praised the functioning of the Dehradun office for delivering fast and citizen-focused services and especially appreciated the innovative “Samvedana” Cell, an initiative designed for compassionate, speedy, and error-free settlement of death claims under the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF), Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS), and Employees’ Deposit Linked Insurance (EDLI) schemes.

He announced that the Samvedana model, introduced successfully in Uttarakhand, will now be replicated across the Delhi-Uttarakhand-Jammu & Kashmir-Ladakh zone to ensure transparent and timely support for beneficiaries.

During the briefing, Mehra also highlighted the Prime Minister Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PMVBRY), describing it as one of the Government of India’s flagship employment generation programmes. The scheme, with a total financial outlay of ₹99,446 crore, aims to create over 3.5 crore employment opportunities nationwide over two years, including around 1.92 crore first-time entrants into the formal workforce. The initiative covers jobs generated between August 1, 2025, and July 31, 2027, with special incentives for the manufacturing sector.

The Additional Central Provident Fund Commissioner further explained recent reforms in EPF partial withdrawal provisions, aimed at improving ease of living for subscribers. Under the new framework, EPFO has simplified 13 complex withdrawal provisions into three broad categories — essential needs, housing-related requirements, and special circumstances.

Under the revised rules, members can now withdraw funds up to 10 times for education purposes and 5 times for marriage, compared to the earlier combined limit of three withdrawals. The minimum service eligibility for withdrawals has also been reduced to 12 months, making the process more flexible and member-friendly.

He also highlighted the launch of the Centralised IT Enabled System (CITES), a new digital platform designed to strengthen EPFO’s technology ecosystem. According to Mehra, the system will significantly improve automation, speed up claim settlements, and make service delivery more transparent and efficient.

On the occasion, a long-pending EDLI Exemption case related to Welham Boys’ School, Dehradun was successfully resolved, and the exemption order was formally handed over to the school’s Principal Sangeeta Cain.

The press conference was attended by senior EPFO officials, including Regional Provident Fund Commissioner-I V.V.B. Singh, Regional Provident Fund Commissioner-II Udit Sah, Mohammad Zaid, Assistant Provident Fund Commissioners Santosh Kumar and Rajesh Kumar, among others.

The developments mark another step toward strengthening social security systems, digital governance, and faster public service delivery in Uttarakhand under EPFO’s evolving reform framework.