Assam Tea Employees Provident Fund Organization

The Assam Tea Employees Provident Fund Organization is administered by a board of trustees consisting of the representatives of the employees, employers and the state government.

The Secretary-Cum-P.F. Commissioner is an ex-officio member of the board and chief executive of the organization. The administration of the scheme is based on a three tier setup:

1. Head administration.

2. Zonal administration.

3. Inspectorate administration.

The Head administration is handled by the Chief Executive who is further assisted by Additional Provident Fund Commissioner and the Deputy Provident Fund Commissioner. The Zonal administration is handled by the Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner. He is assisted by the junior officers like Fund Control Officer, Assistant Fund Control Officer and Auditors. The Head Office provides guidelines and procedures for the operation of the Zonal and Inspectorate Offices. The Zonal and Inspectorates Offices do all the preliminary works required for settlement of P.F. and Pension claims. They maintain records of the periodical statement of accounts of each and every tea estate under their jurisdiction. The Zonal Officer submit defaulter list to the Head Office from time to time.

The Zonal as well as the Inspectorate Offices exercise constant vigilance to ensure strict compliance of the provisions of social security scheme in plantations including tea factories. The Officers of the Zonal and Inspectorate Offices visit the garden/factories for general inspection of records relating to different social security schemes and submit comprehensive report to the Head Office.

The Board has a publicity wing for familiarization of the social security benefit among the tea garden workers. The immediate settlement of grievances is the top priority in the day to day affairs of the Head Office as well as of Zonal and Inspectorate Offices.

The Head Office organizes seminars and conferences of the officers of the Board where the officers from Zonal Offices and Inspectorates exchange their views and the problems faced by the officers while implementing the schemes are discussed. In order to keep pace with the changing scenario of the social security in Assam in particular and India in general. The Board sends its officers to attend the training programmes and seminar inside and outside the country.

Benefits under the Assam Tea Plantation Provident Fund & Pension Fund Scheme:

(1) Provident Fund: All the employees of a plantation or a tea factory receiving monthly salaries and the daily wages workers are eligible to become member of the scheme and entitled to avail the provident benefits. The employees contributes @ 12% of their wages including dearness allowances, value of food concessions and amount received for plucking tea leaves. The employer contributes at the same rate. It is the duty of the employer to deduct the contributions from the employee and deposit the collected amount along with his own share of contribution into the Board's Account within 30 days. If any employer fails to deposit the said amount of P.F. contribution within the prescribed time limit, loss of interest @15% p.a. is charged on that employer for the defaulting period. The members Provident Fund deposits are credited with interest at the rate declared by the board every year.

In the event of cessation of membership due to retirement, resignation, death, invalidity etc., the Board pays back the amount standing at credit to the member or his nominees with interest. Here, it may be mentioned that payment system has recently been modified to ensure prompt payment to the beneficiaries for which beneficiaries have already been advised through the Managers of all T.Es to furnish their Bank A/C No., Name of the Banker and Branch with IFS code so that amount in question may be credited into the A/C of concerned beneficiaries.

(2) Pension Benefit: There are two types of pensioner benefits are provided under the scheme:

A. Withdrawal benefit

B. Family Pension benefit

The first one is paid retirement and resignation and the later one is paid on death of the member while in service. A member is entitled to full Pensioner benefit (withdrawal) if he/she retires at the age of 58 years and completed 25 years of membership in the Provident Fund.

In the event of cessation of membership before attainment of the age of 58 years, the pensioner benefits are paid as per prescribed schedule.

In the event of death of a member while in service, subject to completion of one year of membership in Provident Fund, the widow/widower/son/daughter as the case may be is paid family pension benefit @ Rs. 175/- to 450/- p.m. depending on the amount of P.F. balance at credit at the time of death of the member, along with a lump sum amount of Rs. 2000/-. The payee (spouse) shall continue to enjoy the benefit till death or remarriage or attainment of age of 18 years in respect of son and 21 years in respect of unmarried daughter if the payee was minor at the time of death of the member, legal guardian of the minor payee is allowed to draw the amount of family pension money on behalf of minor payee.
The unique feature of the scheme is the resources for building the pension fund. Neither the employee nor the employers are required to contribute to the funds. The fund is built up out of surplus interest from investment and contribution from the Govt. of India. The Board and Govt. of India contribute at the rate of 2-1/3 % and 1-1/6% respectively of the total wages of the members at the Provident Fund scheme. In addition to these two types of pension benefits as mentioned above, a member is paid Invalid Pension @ Rs. 100/- p.m. if the member becomes invalid while at work due to accident or any unforeseen reason.

(3) Deposit Linked Insurance Benefit: This scheme came into force with effect from 1^st of February, 1984. The Scheme is applicable to all P.F. members under the Assam Tea Plantation Provident Fund Scheme. In the event of death of an employee who is a member of the P.F. Scheme with a minimum P.F. balance of Rs. 1000/- at credit, the nominee be paid the assurance benefit under the scheme equal to the amount of balance in the deceased members P.F. account subject to the maximum of Rs. 30,000/-. This is an employer liability scheme. The employer contributes @ .5% of the total wages of the members into the Insurance Fund. The Government of India contributes .25% of the total wages of the members. The beneficiaries need not contribute to the fund. Before starting the DLI Scheme, Life Insurance Scheme was formulated under special arrangement with the Life Insurance Corporation of India. The members are covered under 20 years endowment policies. The members need not pay the premiums separately. The premium due is deduced from the P.F. accumulations of the insured member and deposited to the Life Insurance Corporation of India. In the event of death of a member, the nominee is paid the policy value irrespective of the amount of premium paid. At the time of maturity, the sum assured is paid back to the member with bonus.

(4) Loan and Advances Benefits: The members under the Provident Fund Scheme are granted P.F. advances for marriage, death ceremony, special medical treatment, higher education of children etc, up to a maximum limit of 25% of P.F. balance at credit of the members account or nine months pay whichever is less. No such advance shall be granted if recovery of a previous advance is continuing. The board also grants non­refundable P.F. advances for construction or purchase of a dwelling house. The quantum of advances shall be equivalent to 24 month wage of the member or his own total contribution or the cost of the dwelling house whichever is less:

Beside this, non-refundable advance is also granted to a member in the case of his/her hardship due to natural calamity or closure of a plantation or factory.

Head office & subordinate offices of Assam Tea Employees Provident Fund Organization (ATEPFO):