Consumer Court Orders EPFO to Pay 6% Interest for 35-Day PF Claim Delay

A consumer court has ruled against the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) for delaying the settlement of a retired employee's provident fund claim. The retiree's claim, amounting to over Rs 14.06 lakh, was not processed for 35 days beyond the stipulated timeframe. The court found EPFO guilty of a deficiency in service due to the unjustified delay. As a penalty, EPFO has been directed to pay the claimant 6 per cent annual interest on the delayed amount.