EPF-Aadhaar Linking Deadline Extended For Members of This Region & Establishments

For members of the north east region and certain categories of establishments, the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has recently extended the deadline for linking Aadhaar with EPF accounts. You must be aware that UANs must be linked with Aadhaar in order to receive contributions via ECR. However, in light of the difficulties faced by employers and employees in seeding Aadhaar in UANs in a timely manner, particularly in light of the modifications required in Aadhaar data of employees in the event of the second wave of COVID-19, the EPFO had previously extended the time for mandatory seeding of Aadhaar in UAN for filing ECR up to 01.09.2021. But according to the notification issued on 11th September 2021, the deadline for the same has been extended till 31.12.2021 by EPFO.

The organisation has said on the declaration that "The representations for extension of time beyond 01.09.2021 have been considered and it is noted that overall about 94% of contributory EPF members' UAN have Aadhaar seeding but there is less percentage of Aadhaar seeding in UANs of contributory members in EPFO's administrative Zone of North Eastern Region and in certain class of establishments / industries such as Beedi making, Building & Construction and Plantation."

As a result, and in light of the facts, EPFO has concluded that:

(a) Considering the low Aadhaar penetration in the EPFO's administrative Zone of North East Region comprising of States of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland & Tripura, time for mandatory seeding of Aadhaar in UAN for filing ECR is extended till 31.12.2021.

(b) Considering the concentration of establishments in remote localities & in areas affected by insurgency, frequent change in work sites of the workers and other attendant constraints in the Classes of establishments- Beedi making, Building and Construction and Plantation industries (Tea, Coffee, Cardamom, Pepper, Jute, Rubber, Cinchona, Cashew Nuts etc.) time for mandatory seeding of Aadhaar in UAN for filing ECR is extended till 31.12.2021.

(c) For areas and industries / class of establishments other than above, delay in filing of ECRs for wage months of August, 2021 & September, 2021 only in respect of EPF members due to non-seeding of Aadhaar in the UANs should not be presumed as employer's default for levy of penal damages u/s 14B of the EPF & MP Act, 1952.

How to link Aadhaar with EPF?

To link Aadhaar with your EPF account, follow the steps mentioned below:

• Visit EKYC Portal-EPFO (epfindia.gov.in), select EPFO FO category, and enter your User ID, password and the required CAPTCHA code.
• Now sign in to your account or you can directly click on the 'Link your UAN with Aadhaar' option.
• Now enter your UAN, mobile number linked with UAN, and click on 'Generate OTP'.
• Enter the OTP which you will receive in your registered mobile number and then enter your valid Aadhaar number.
• Now select the Aadhaar verification process and enter the required CAPTCHA code.
• Upon successful authentication of your Aadhaar, your process will be complete and you will get a successful message on your mobile number linked with UAN.