VISHWAS 2026 PF Dispute Settlement Scheme To Remain Open Till Dec 28: Govt

(MENAFN- IANS) New Delhi, Sep 3 (IANS) The government's VISHWAS, 2026, a one‐time provident fund-related dispute settlement scheme, will remain open until December 28, 2026, and employers are urged to apply within that period as the closing date will not be extended, the government said on Thursday.

The scheme allows employers to close long‐pending Provident Fund disputes by paying sharply reduced penalties, the statement said.

The statement from the Ministry of Labour & Employment said that penalties for late PF deposit can be as high as 37 per cent per year under normal rules.

The scheme reduces those charges to 0.25 per cent per month for delays up to two months, 0.50 per cent per month for delays from two to four months, and 1 per cent per month for delays beyond four months, the statement added.

The coverage includes cases where proceedings relating to penalties are currently pending before a court or tribunal; cases where the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has already passed a penalty order but recovery, either fully or partially, is still pending.

The scheme also covers cases where EPFO has issued a notice proposing the imposition of a penalty but a final order has not yet been passed; and cases where EPFO records reflect delays in PF payments but no penalty notice has been issued so far.

“Bombay High Court (Pune Bench), in WP No. 4246 of 2018, ordered an employer to apply under VISHWAS, 2026 within two weeks, modified the earlier tribunal order accordingly, and disposed of the writ petition,” the statement said.

The Madras High Court disposed of a case the moment the employer expressed willingness to avail the Scheme, closing the writ petition and related tribunal proceedings simultaneously.

Kerala High Court (Ernakulam Bench) has gone a step further and issued similar directions in nineteen separate cases, directing those establishments to approach EPFO and settle under VISHWAS, 2026.

-IANS

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