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Attacking the Modi authorities implicit the alteration successful Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) rules, the absorption connected Wednesday (October 15, 2025) alleged that salaried radical are being punished for the Modi government’s “mishandling of the economy” and urged Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya to scrap the “draconian” provisions.
The absorption deed retired astatine the authorities implicit the circumstantial alteration to the play for availing premature last colony of EPF from the existing 2 months to 12 months and last pension withdrawal from 2 months to 36 months.
They besides slammed the proviso of earmarking 25 per cent of the contributions successful the members’ relationship arsenic minimum equilibrium to beryllium maintained by the subordinate astatine each times.
In a station connected X, Congress MP Manickam Tagore said the Modi government’s caller EPFO rules are thing abbreviated of “cruelty”.
“Pensioners and job-losers are being punished for needing their ain savings. Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji — this is the clip to intervene and halt Mansukh Mandaviya from destroying people’s lives,” Mr. Tagore said.
“Under the caller EPFO decisions: You tin retreat PF lone aft 12 months of unemployment (earlier 2 months). Pension tin beryllium withdrawn lone aft 36 months (earlier 2 months). 25% of your ain EPF volition beryllium locked forever!” helium claimed.
“Who benefits from this, Mr. Modi? Certainly not the workers. Imagine a idiosyncratic who loses his occupation oregon a retiree waiting for years to entree his hard-earned savings — portion the Govt writes disconnected lakhs of crores for its crony friends. This is not reform, this is robbery,” Mr. Tagore said.
He claimed Mr. Mandaviya’s decisions volition decorativeness the lives of pensioners who beryllium connected EPF to survive.
“Prime Minister, delight intervene immediately. Don’t fto bureaucratic cruelty destruct the dignity of India’s moving class,” helium said.
TMC MP Saket Gokhale said the caller EPFO rules introduced by the Modi authorities are “shocking and ridiculous”.
“It is unfastened theft of salaried people’s ain money. Here’s what the caller rules say: Earlier, connected losing your job, you could retreat your EPF equilibrium aft 2 months of unemployment. That minimum play has present shockingly been accrued to 1 year. Basically, for withdrawing your ain money, you request to present beryllium unemployed for a afloat twelvemonth arsenic opposed to lone 2 months,” Mr. Gokhale said.
“You tin retreat the pension constituent of your EPF ONLY aft 36 months (i.e. 3 years) of unemployment. Earlier, you could bash it aft 2 months. And this is the worst part: Of your EPF balance, 25% cannot beryllium withdrawn and volition stay locked for your full vocation until you retire,” helium said.
“Imagine if a idiosyncratic gets laid disconnected oregon loses their job. They inactive person bills and EMIs to pay. But the Modi authorities volition not let you to retreat your ain wealth for a afloat year. Even aft a year, you tin lone retreat 75% of your savings and that excessively lone if you’re inactive unemployed,” helium said.
Besides EPF has been made mandatory which means salaried persons cannot flight this “draconian monthly robbery” by the authorities of their ain income, helium claimed.
“How is simply a mean middle-class idiosyncratic expected to past similar this,” helium asked.
Mr. Gokhale further asked however volition a salaried idiosyncratic who loses their occupation conscionable their expenses for a afloat twelvemonth erstwhile their EPF withdrawal is blocked?
“It is wide that the Modi authorities is expecting a drastic emergence successful unemployment owed to its unspeakable economical policies. These caller rules locking people’s EPF are the signs of a panicked authorities trying to forestall a tally connected the EPFO. Salaried radical are being punished for the Modi government’s mishandling of the economy,” the TMC MP said.
He urged Mr. Mandviya to scrap these caller “draconian” EPF rules immediately.
Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed besides demanded a rotation backmost of the rules.
“New EPFO rules introduced by the Narendra Modi authorities successful the sanction of ‘simplification’ are thing abbreviated of looting the hard-earned wealth of the salaried mediate class. 25% of the contributor’s magnitude cannot beryllium withdrawn and volition stay locked until retirement. The play for availing premature last EPF pension withdrawal has been accrued to 36 months, up from 2 months earlier,” she said.
“For immoderate partial withdrawal, the waiting play has been extended to 1 year, alternatively of 2 months earlier. The Modi authorities should instantly rotation backmost these rules!” she said connected X.
Unemployed members of status money assemblage EPFO volition present beryllium capable to avail last colony oregon afloat withdrawal of funds from provident money arsenic good arsenic pension accounts aft 12 months and 36 months of unemployment, respectively.
The determination to amend the strategy was taken by apex determination making assemblage of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), the Central Board of Trustees headed by Mr. Mandaviya, successful a gathering held connected Monday (October 13).
Presently, the strategy provides for withdrawal of each funds from the provident money arsenic good arsenic pension relationship aft 2 months of continuous unemployment.
A elder authoritative explained that the determination was taken to guarantee societal information benefits to the ceremonial assemblage workers successful the state who mostly exit the ambit of the EPFO aft 2 months of unemployment.
He explained that astir of these unemployed younker are required to enrol again with the EPFO erstwhile they get different occupation oregon other they suffer the accidental of getting pension and different benefits arsenic the relationship becomes pensionable lone aft combined work of 10 years oregon more.
