GS AIGETOA writes to CMD BSNL for urgent intervention regarding the uploading of approved documents to EPFO Portal for All BSNL Recruited Employees who had already submitted their EPF Higher Pension Option applications to BSNL and ensuring 100% submission to EPFO by deadline of 31.01.2025.

Click here for the Letter to CMD BSNL

As per the recent press release by EPFO, the last date for employers to submit the approved copies of higher pension option applications to the EPFO portal is 31.01.2025. Despite previous instructions and guidelines from BSNL Corporate Office, hundreds of EPF higher pension option applications are still pending for approval and uploading. Many Account Units have cited difficulties in accessing old data, particularly for employees transferred before the 2009-2010 period. However, as per the EPF & MP Act, 1952, it remains the employer’s responsibility to retain payroll records, and these challenges should not hinder timely submissions.

It is a well-established fact that BSNL directly Recruited employees of BSNL are not protected by any statutory pension or medical schemes. Their only remaining support post-retirement is the SAB (Superannuation Benefit) contributions. This association has also pursued legal remedies to ensure the implementation of EPF higher pension options, which are now being implemented. Therefore, the exclusion of any eligible employee who has opted for the higher pension scheme is unacceptable.

AIGETOA demands the BSNL Management that the responsibility be directly fixed for any exclusion from the EPFO portal upload, and if any eligible employee is excluded, BSNL will be held liable for the pension disbursement at the rates calculated by EPFO for each and every omitted employee.