EPFO comes to rescue of pharma fire victims

Hyderabad: A news article titled ‘Pharma Co Director among 4 dead in reactor blast’ was published in a newspaper on April 4, 2024. As soon as this news came to the attention of EPFO’s Regional Office at Patancheru on April 4, the officials sprung into action. A team of enforcement officers comprising S Mallaiah and A Peddiraju was directed to visit the site of the accident and know its status and extent. It was learned that six people have succumbed to death.

They were directed to contact the police authorities for the exact details of those dead. Similarly, the officials at the office were directed to check their accounts status so that, immediately after receiving claims, they could be settled on top priority. The team of officers contacted the families of all six deceased employees, of whom one was not available locally and the other had no bank account. They collected claim forms with all relevant enclosures from the respective claimants of four deceased employees.

Their EPF and EDLI claims were settled on April 8, 2024, for the entitled benefits to the respective claimants. Team members were directed to visit the homes of the deceased employees and share the details of the EPF and EDLI benefits with the claimants. They expressed their happiness and appreciated the proactive approach of the regional office, Patancheru. The claims of the remaining two deceased employees shall also be settled as soon as they are received in office, for which efforts are being made for their early receipt.