Early Times Report UDHAMPUR, Aug 27: The Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO), Jammu, conducted an awareness programme as part of the "Nidhi Aapke Nikat 2.0" initiative at Hotel Trinetar, Patnitop, Udhampur. The event was presided over by Rizwan Uddin, Regional Provident Fund Commissioner-I, alongside District Nodal Officer Devinder Singh and Enforcement Officer Harshit Pathak. Key employers' representatives, including Rohit Gupta (Nodal Officer, Hotel Trinetar), Darshan Lal (Manager, Hotel Oasis), R S Katoch (Manager, Hotel Samson), and Suresh Sharma (Manager, Hotel Subash Palace), were present. A parallel programme was also conducted by Sandeep Kumar, SS, at the National Institute of SowaRigpa in Leh, Ladakh. During the event, Rizwan Uddin provided a detailed overview of various EPFO initiatives under "Nidhi Aapke Nikat 2.0," including E-Nomination, UAN Activation, KYC Updation, Bank and Aadhar Seeding, Online ECR Filing, and the salient features of the Employees Deposit Linked Insurance (EDLI) Scheme, 1976, and Employees' Pension Scheme, 1995. The programme included a handholding session to assist employers in registering DSC/E-Sign, filing ECR challans, and other related processes. One significant issue raised was the reluctance of employees to enroll in EPFO schemes due to the seasonal nature of their work. However, after Rizwan Uddin's explanation of the benefits of the EDLI Scheme and the Employees' Pension Scheme, the concerns were addressed, and stakeholders expressed their willingness to participate in EPFO schemes. The session lasted over an hour, during which various issues were discussed, and on-the-spot directions were provided by Rizwan Uddin to resolve them. Employers were also educated on how to access the Principal Employer Portal to check sub-contractor compliance and the benefits of e-nomination. Grievances were redressed, and participants received guidance on PF-related matters. A similar programme was conducted by Sandeep Kumar, SS, at the Director, National Institute of SowaRigpa, Leh, Ladakh, where representatives from various establishments and employees were in attendance. |