EPFO settles 10.02 lakh claims including 6.06 lakh COVID-19 cases in 15 days; disburses Rs 3,601 cr

New Delhi: The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has settled 10.02 lakh claims, including 6.06 lakh COVID-19 cases, under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) in 15 working days. This involved disbursal of Rs 3,601 crore which included Rs 1,954 crore COVID-19 claims, according to an official statement released on Wednesday. [caption id=“attachment_5161771” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. PTI[/caption] “Despite only one-third staff being able to work due to lockdown, 90 percent of COVID-19 claims have been settled in three working days, setting new standards of service delivery.” The Centre launched the PMGKY on March 26 to help economically-weaker sections cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. A provision for withdrawal from the EPF Scheme to fight COVID-19 pandemic was announced by the government. The provision providing for non-refundable withdrawal to the extent of basic wages and dearness allowance for three months or up to 75 percent of the amount standing to member’s credit in the EPF account, whichever is less. EPFO has also provided a facility to file online COVID-19 advance claim along with other services on Umang app. The top three exempted establishments in terms of the amount disbursed for COVID-19 claims are Neyveli Lignite Corporation (Rs 84.4 crore), Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (Rs 43.3 crore) and Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (Rs 40.9 crore).