LABOUR Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has said that the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has recorded a 640 per cent increase in recovery of arrears from defaulting establishments.He stated this at the meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee, where members alleged high levels of corruption in the EPFO, lack of adequate work force, evasion of collections and delay in settlement of dues.Trade unions too have criticised the EPFO, accusing it of shielding big defaulters like PSUs. The trade unions have also been questioning the veracity of projected accounts of the Central Board of Trustees, which had maintained that it would only offer interest at 8.5 per cent against the demand for 9.5 per cent.The Minister directed EPFO officials present, to draw up an action plan to address these issues and said frequent zonal-level meetings would be held to keep a tab on the organisation’s functioning.Explaining the record recovery of arrears, Rao said, ‘‘The EPFO has developmed in-house, a computer system to help it track the monthly compliance for all establishmentss, action taken against defaulters and monitor the updating of accounts.’’He said recovered arrears thus stood at Rs 50,000.53 crore for the period between 1999-2000 to 2003-04. In 1990-91 to 1998-99, the recovery was Rs 778.50 crore.The members of the committee met with 22 regional officers of the EPFO and five additional PF commissioners.
