MP C.P. Joshi Urges PF Commissioner to Immediately Initiate Higher Pension Process for Exempted Establishments’ Pensioners

Udaipur/Chittorgarh.Chittorgarh Member of Parliament C.P. Joshi on Monday, January 12, 2026, visited the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) Office in Udaipur to discuss the long-pending issue of higher pension for pensioners of exempted establishments.

On his arrival, EPF Commissioner P.K. Sinha, Deputy Commissioner Ajay Yadav, and PRO Sanjay Duggar welcomed the MP by presenting a traditional turban, garland, and stole.

Demand for Uniform Implementation of Supreme Court Judgment

During the meeting attended by pensioners and officials, Narendra Singh Shaktawat, State Convener of the National Struggle Committee, stated that in compliance with the Supreme Court judgment dated November 4, 2022, online applications for higher pension were invited from pensioners of both exempted and non-exempted establishments between February and August 2023, without any discrimination.

He pointed out that pensioners from non-exempted establishments have been receiving higher pension for the last two years, whereas the EPFO, through a circular dated January 18, 2025, rejected applications of pensioners from exempted establishments citing company trust rules—without any valid legal basis.

Multiple High Court Rulings in Favor of Pensioners

It was informed in the meeting that several High Courts—including:

Shimla (September 22, 2023)

Madras (October 28, 2024)

Madurai (February 2, 2025)

Kolkata (November 14 & 21, 2025; January 6, 2026)

Lucknow (December 19, 2025)

Telangana (January 9, 2026)

have declared the EPFO circular dated January 18, 2025 unconstitutional and directed strict compliance with the Supreme Court verdict of November 4, 2022.

Copies of these judgments, along with EPF Trust rules of Hindustan Zinc, rejection orders of Tata Steel (Jamshedpur), subsequent EPFO orders issued in favor of pensioners, and demand notices issued to pensioners of exempted establishments such as Tata Steel and BHEL, were submitted to the Commissioner.

MP Raises Sharp Questions to EPF Commissioner

When the Commissioner attempted to provide partial information, MP C.P. Joshi intervened and questioned:

Why are PF contributions and EPS-95 pension contributions, which are deposited separately, being linked?

Why is there a delay in implementing the Supreme Court and High Court rulings?

Why has the EPFO failed to respond to nearly 100 applications sent by pensioners via speed post?

In response, the Commissioner admitted that due to instructions from the EPFO Head Office, the regional office was not in a position to take independent decisions.

Assurance of Resolution at Head Office Level

MP Joshi directed the Commissioner to send a point-wise report of the meeting via email to the EPFO Head Office in New Delhi, the MP’s Chittorgarh office, and the State Convener of the National Struggle Committee.

He assured the pensioners, saying:

“I am visiting New Delhi on January 28 and will ensure that the issue is resolved after obtaining clearance from the Head Office.”

Progress Sought on Proposed EPF Office in Chittorgarh

The MP also sought an update on the progress of the proposed EPF office in Chittorgarh, stating that lakhs of employees working in zinc plants, cement factories, RAPP, fertilizer units, power plants, and glass factories in the district would benefit from it.

The meeting was also attended by National Struggle Committee office-bearers Prabhu Lal Sharma, Sudhir Mehta, and Ashok Jain, who shared important suggestions and viewpoints.