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Chamber News
Seminar on PF Debates Issues
Affecting both Employers & Workers
The Varanasi Branch organized a one-day Seminar on
'Employees' Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions
Act, 1952' was held in Varanasi on 16 September, 2010
in association with PHD Chamber of Commerce and
Industry and Employers' Federation of India.
when they are unable to work because of illness,
accident, invalidity, old age or to provide funds to enable
them to discharge their family responsibilities like
marriage of dependent sister/brother/daughter/son or
higher education of children or construction of house.
Besides these, Eastern U.P. Exporters' Association, He said that efforts are on to make all P.F. offices online. It
Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Varanasi would increase work efficiency and an employee can
Branch, All India Carpet Manufacturers' Association, examine his P.F. accounts on computer. The P.F
Bhadohi, Varanasi Laghu Udyog Sangh, Varanasi, organization is also trying to extend the facility of e-
Ramnagar Industrial Association, Industrial Estate payment and hopefully by March 2011 the job of
Association and Small Industries Associations were also networking shall be completed.
organizing partners of the programme.
Chatterjee agreed that there are few provisions which are
S. Chatterjee, Central Provident Fund Commissioner, not welcomed by industrialists but this is the duty of P.F.
Government of India, was the Chief Guest and Ravi Wig, officials to clarify and remove all misunderstandings of
President, Employers' Federation of India was the Guest both employers and workers. He said the Employees
of Honour. Other officials of P.F. organization, N.K. Deposit Life Insurance Scheme has been changed into
Prasad and S.K. Jha also participated in the Seminar. complete insurance policy under which the employees
could get 20 times of their last salaries. This scheme
Ashok Kumar Gupta, Co-Chairman, U.P. Committee,
should cover interests of as many workers as possible but
PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, welcomed the
at present only 4.0 percent work force is being covered by
officers from the P.F. organization, participants and
the Department.
guests. In his brief address, Gupta said that proper
implementation of EPF brings creditability to any During the question and answers session that followed,
commercial unit, raises satisfaction level of workers Ravi Patodia, AICMA, Bhadohi said that immediate
which in turn increases production output. He changes are required in labour law that were formed by
appreciated efforts of Chatterjee for being instrumental the British and said that P.F. be changed into microin
raising the interest rate on P.F. by 1.0 percent.
finance. The P.F. organisation should not present itself as
a tax collecting agency but bear the face of a service
Employers' Federation of India Chairman Wig said that
provider.
Indian culture had always given enormous importance to
workers and that interests of an industrialist and workers R.K. Chaudhary and K.K. Gupta agreed that workers are
could never be contradictory to each other. An industry an asset of the industry and only companies that grew
could develop only when its workers are given understood the importance of workers. However, all
reasonable opportunity to flourish. Wig said, adding that speakers were unanimous in making formalities
unless there was social security to workers, there would minimum.
not be a positive effect on production.
Debashis Mukherjee proposed a vote of thanks to guests
In the second phase of the Seminar, all participating and those who coordinated the programme.
associations were given a chance to present their Members of different associations participated in large
considered views on EPF. Sunil Tripathi, Advocate, High
number in the seminar. Members of Indo-American
Court, submitted a memorandum that suggested
Chamber, Varanasi Ashok Kapoor, Anurag Chandra,
changes/modifications in the provisions of existing P.F.
Tanmaya Deva, Puneet Raman, V.G. Unni, R.K. Goel,
rules. Ahsan Rauf Khan presented a brief bio-data of the
Subrato Paul, Arun Kumar Agrawal, Kailash Narain
Chief Guest.
Baranwal and other were also present.
In his address, Chatterjee said the main objective of the
P.F. is to guarantee protection to workers in a situation
INDO-US BUSINESS SPECIAL ISSUE
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