EPF officers' union says new claims system leaves field staff overwhelmed

Weeks after the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation deployed its Centralised IT Enabled System (CITES) in early July, the EPF Officers Association raised concerns to labour minister Mansukh Mandaviya about mounting claim backlogs. The union alleges that many automated claims have stayed pending for over 20 days, far beyond the promised 2-3 day turnaround, and that field offices have received no guidance. EPFO countered that the transition to the new enterprise-wide platform caused a short-term rise in pendency but that overall service disruption has been limited.

The association claims that field officials across the country are now left to manage the increased workload without adequate support. EPFO maintains that the system’s implementation proceeded with minimal impact on members. The dispute highlights challenges in modernising large-scale public pension services.