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A resident of Ropar has been awarded Rs 15,000 as compensation from the Employees Provident Fund Office (EPFO) in Chandigarh by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission for the delay in resolving his claims.

Surjan Singh said in a complaint submitted to the commission via attorney Hitender Kansal that he had left the Sant Karam Singh Academy in Shampura, Roopnagar, on November 30, 2014. His company filed provident fund and monthly pension from EPF documents with the EPFO.

The EPFO failed to pay the payments until October 2021. He contacted the EPFO a month later to inquire about the progress of his claim and was informed that his paperwork had been misplaced. He sent his paperwork to the EPFO once again on December 13, 2021, but the relevant authority would not accept them as they had not reconciled the record.

The complainant’s claim (Form 19) was paid for Rs 1,42,508 on March 2, 2022, according to the EPFO, refuting the claims. His PF buildup from 2003 to 2008, however, will be resolved soon after record verification and reconciliation, which was already in progress.

The commission noted that the EPFO had acknowledged there was still a balance claim pending resolution. “The EPFO has acknowledged that there was a delay in record-verification and reconciliation. Therefore, we believe that the complaint has experienced mental anguish and harassment as a result of the EPFO’s inadequate service,” the panel said.