New Delhi: The government on Monday told Lok Sabha that 74 per cent of the EPFO claimants during the lockdown, which was imposed due to Covid-19 pandemic, were low wage earners and the claims of total 1,04,05,051 wage earners were settled during the period.
In a reply to a question asked by YSR Congress Party MP Geetha Viswanath Vanga, Union Labour Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar said, "Out of the total 1,04,05,051 EPFO claimants, 81,91,735 claimants are those whose monthly earnings are below Rs 15,000."
As per the Labour Ministry's data, Maharashtra, which has reported most of the Covid-19 cases in the country, has topped among the states with maximum 18.23 lakh claims settled during the Covid-19 period, followed by Tamil Nadu and Karnataka as both the states have settled the claims of 13.87 lakh and 12.97 lakh EPFO subscribers.
Out of total 18,25,601 claims settled in Maharashtra, the monthly wages of 13,69,050 claimants were up to
Rs 14,999, while in Tamil Nadu the number of such claimants was 10,70,194 out of total 13,87,883 EFPO account holders.
In Karnataka, 9,50,056 claimants' earning was below Rs 15,000 out of total 12,97,003 EPFO beneficiaries.
Delhi has settled the claims of 8,88,874 claimants out of which wages of 6,82,361 beneficiaries were below Rs 15,000.
Haryana has settled the claims of 6,66,122 workers, followed by Gujarat (6,42,259), Telangana (6,20,450), Uttar Pradesh (5,08,222), Andhra Pradesh (3,12,457), West Bengal (2,96,721), Madhya Pradesh (2,94,653), Rajasthan (2,72,464), Kerala (2,63,012), Chhattisgarh (1,34,134), etc,
The least number of 416 claims were settled in newly constituted Union Territory Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, while Goa has settled the claims of 40,545 beneficiaries and Assam, including other Northeastern states, has settled the EPFO claims of 46,862 subscribers.
"The subscribers were facilitated to submit online claims and the services of EPFO also has been integrated and offered through UMANG application of the government. The entire payment to subscribers is done electronically through NEFT system," Gangwar said in his reply.
Employees provident fund (EPF) members withdrew Rs 39,402.94 crore between March 25 and August 31, Parliament was informed on Monday.
Total withdrawals from EPF accounts stood at Rs 39,402.94 crore from March 25 to August 31 this year, Labour
Minister Santosh Gangwar said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.