Pensioners serve legal notice to EPFO over higher pension denial

Pensioners from BHEL, NLC Limited and Tamil Nadu State Cooperative Bank have served a legal notice to the Central Provident Fund Commissioner over denial of higher pension benefits. Advocate K.M. Vignesh Ram issued the notice, with a copy sent to Union Minister Jitendra Singh.

The notice says a Madras High Court order, which directed authorities not to deny Supreme Court's 2022 judgment granting higher pension to EPF members on the basis of trust rules, has not been implemented. Pensioners say contributions were based on their actual salaries and they are entitled to higher pension under the ruling.

The notice argues the EPFO is only a trustee of members' funds and the amount cannot be treated as its own money. It calls for the court's directions to be implemented. Many eligible pensioners have died waiting, while others continue to approach courts for the benefit.