The Employees Provident Fund Officers’ Association (EPFOA) has expressed its dismay over the removal of categorisation of services such as Group A, B and C by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) for the EPF Organization which falls under the purview of Ministry of Labour and Employment.

The EPFOA has termed the denial of categorization of Group A//B/C to EPF officers and staff an act of administrative misadventures by DoPT which is indeed an outcome of an unwarranted reference by EPF controlling ministry to the DoP&T. The officers claimed EPFO is statutory mandate of the Act that service conditions of EPFO officers and staff mirror those of Central Government employees.

The association of officers led by Secretary General Saurabh Swami has sought an immediate intervention of the controlling Ministry and Chairman EPF and has lodged a protest over the unwarranted reference to the chain of communications between MoLE and DoPT over non-grant of classification of services as the EPF too is a government organization.

EPFOA in statement dated October 18 said the entire issue started couple of years back by MoL&E which said classification emanates from CCS (CC&A) Rules 1965 and since EPFO has not adopted the same criteria the said classification cannot be applied to EPF service rules.

“This stand of MoL&E is so contrary to all the notifications, approved and issued by MoL&E, Government of India since 1962. We are completely at loss to understand as to what triggered this change of stance by MoL&E. The stand has no administrative or business case and will only create confusion and may lead to needless litigation. We submit that it is the statutory mandate of the Act that service conditions of EPFO officers and staff mirror those of Central Government employees,” said Swami’s letter to Chairman, Central Board of Trustees, EPF