MP High Court Seeks PPF Reply On Enrollment In NPS, Employer’s Contribution

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Madhya Pradesh High Court principal bench at Jabalpur has directed the director Pension and Provident Fund, Government of Madhya Pradesh, to scrutinize the records of the MP State Agricultural Marketing Board (Mandi Board). 

The court, while hearing the petitions, asked the respondent to submit a report clarifying whether the petitioners had been enrolled under National Pension System (NPS) at the relevant time and if the government and Board have remitted the correct amount of employer contribution.

The state government has informed the court that the petitioners were covered under Contributory Provident Fund and paid Rs 14.70 lakh towards the CPF dues.

Senior advocate Rameshwar Thakur, who appeared on behalf of petitioners, said, “The said system adopted by the government is not only illegal but it is also a case of the Board placing false facts in its original reply before the court.

“It is clear that the government has neither remitted the contribution to PFRDA constituted under the Act of 2013 nor it is clear whether petitioners have been given the same returns as have been given by the PFRDA on the deposits made before the said authority,” the advocate stated.

He further said that even it was not clear whether the government and Board have contributed the same proportion of contribution as was required to be paid by the employer under the NPS administered by PFRDA.  

“The government as well as agriculture board have acted with patent illegality in denying the benefits of NPS to the petitioners and have retained the CPF amount with themselves and giving some arbitrary interest, refunded the amount to the petitioner after retirement,” argued the advocate.