Labour Minister146;s controversial order rocks EPFO

While the Employees8217; Provident Fund Organisation is supposed to be scrambling to find the resources required to pay an 8.5 per cent PF ...

While the Employees8217; Provident Fund Organisation is supposed to be scrambling to find the resources required to pay an 8.5 per cent PF rate this year, a controversial appointment made by Labour Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao last weekend has brought all work inside the organisation to a standstill and EPFO officers plan to proceed on mass casual leave unless the order is revoked.

The appointment that has raised EPF officers8217; hackles was made hastily on Christmas eve, a Saturday morning, and the EPF Officers8217; Association met a couple of days later and resolved to fight what they see as an illegal posting.

The Association plans to file a contempt petition in the Central Administrative Tribunal and has sought support from officers all across the country in this fight.

The appointment in question is of a deputy secretary from the Central Secretariat Service, Ranbir Singh, who has been appointed as Additional Central PF Commissioner North Zone on December 24. This is a very high level post, second only to the Central PF Commissioner.

Singh had joined the Labour Ministry just ten days before that and was to fill one of three vacant Deputy Secretary posts. But before his file could process further, Rao8217;s office conveyed that the 8216;8216;Labour and Employment Minister has directed that Shri Ranbir Singh8217;s case for posting be put up to him and that he be not assigned to any office till such time8217;8217;.

Days later, Rao ordered that Singh be posted as the EPFO8217;s Additional Central PF Commissioner for the North Zone immediately. The additional commissioner in charge of North Zone, V N Sharma, was transferred and Singh appointed through an Office Order dated December 24, a Saturday when EPFO wasn8217;t working. Senior EPF officers allege that the haste and the manner of Rao8217;s unilateral decision ignoring all canons of law and the ministry8217;s advice indicates something fishy.

They also allege that Singh8217;s appointment runs foul of a stay order passed by CAT in July 2004 and reiterated on December 16, 2005, that bars the ministry from appointing outsiders at the Additional CPFC and the Regional PF Commissioner Grade I posts.

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Moreover, they say that Singh8217;s rank of Deputy Secretary is not commensurate with the Additional CPFC8217;s job, which is a director-level post. Four senior EPF officers are already due for promotion to the same job, but the Labour Minister hasn8217;t acted on them yet. Intriguingly, the ministry still hasn8217;t given Singh a relieving letter neither has it rescinded the appointment. It is also unclear whether Singh will get his pay from the ministry or the EPFO.

The EPF Officers8217; Association is demanding that Singh8217;s appointment be revoked and will meet again today or tomorrow to assess the situation. If no action is seen, they plan to go on mass casual leave starting January 6 and file a contempt petition in CAT this week.