Chandigarh, June 17: The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) Chandigarh regional office has settled 14,158 cases of employees eligible for pension on higher wages, following the Supreme Court’s ruling on EPS (Employee Pension Scheme).
Of the 24,250 applications received under the Chandigarh regional office, 19,367 were joint options — involving employees who continued in service after September 1, 2014. EPFO officials confirmed that Chandigarh recorded one of the highest volumes of such applications in the country.
To meet the deadline, the office worked in mission mode, processing applications even on holidays and after hours. By March 31, demand letters were issued to eligible applicants — over 73% of total joint option cases — asking them to remit arrears with interest within three months.
Many applicants have since deposited the dues. EPFO is now working to issue pension payment orders (PPOs) and arrear payments by June 30. Regional PF Commissioner Kishan Pratap Singh has urged EPS members to await updates till the first week of July, citing the high workload.
Meanwhile, in FY 2024-25, the Chandigarh office recorded 6.97 lakh claim settlements, a 37.73% increase from 5.06 lakh in FY 2023-24. The rejection rate dropped to 20.18%, down from 27.22%, while grievances fell to 14,797 from 16,835. Grievances per lakh claims also dipped from 3,325 to 2,139, indicating a significant boost in service efficiency.
