Latest amendment in Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan Yojana Scheme

♣ Introduction of Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan yojana Scheme (PMRPY)

The Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan Yojana (PMRPY) Scheme has been designed to incentivise employers for generation of new employment, where Government of India will be paying 8.33% amended*) EPS contribution of the employer for the new employment

This scheme has a dual benefit, where, on the one hand, the employer is incentivised for increasing the employment base of workers in the establishment, and on the other hand, a large number of workers will find jobs in such establishments.

A direct benefit is that these workers will have access to social security benefits of the organized sector

♣ Eligibility Criteria for Applying for the Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan Yojana (PMRPY)

This scheme is available for all the establishments that are registered with the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization and satisfy the following conditions:

• The target of the PMRPY are workers earning wages less than INR 15,000 per month and hence, the new employees who earn more than INR 15,000 monthly, do not qualify for this scheme.

• The business must be registered with the EPFO and must have a Labour Identification Number (LIN) that is alloted to them under the Shram Suvidha Portal. Under the PMPRY scheme,the Labour Identification Number will serve as the primary reference number for all official communication.

• The employers who are eligible for the scheme should add the new employees to the workers’ reference base to make use of the benefits under this scheme

• Establishments that get registered with EPFO after April 1, 2016, will have their reference base for employees be taken as Zero/NIL. This way the employer will be able to access the PMRPY benefits for new eligible employees

Note: The employers and establishments that apply for this scheme are held fully responsible for the information that they furnish. If at any time any of it is found to be incorrect, it will be assumed that the EPS payment/EPF payment for the textile industry was not made for the employees. This will make the employer liable to penalties under the rules of The Employees’ Provident Fund Scheme, 1952.

♣ Latest Amendment to the PMRPY Scheme: dated 24^thof April, 2018

Government of India will pay the full employer’s contribution (EPF and EPS both) as admissible from time to time w.e.f – 01.04.2018 for a period of three years to the new employees and to existing beneficiaries for their remaining period of three years through EPFO. The terminal date for registration of beneficiary through establishment is 31^st March, 2019.

♠ Prior to Amendment

In order to incentivize creation of new jobs in the formal sector, Government of India will pay the Employee Pension Scheme contribution of 8.33% for all new employees enrolling in EPFO for the first three years of their employment. This will incentivize the employers to recruit unemployed persons and also to bring into the books the informal employees. In order to channelize this intervention towards the target group of semi-skilled and unskilled workers, the scheme will be applicable to those with salary up to Rs 15,000 per month.

Note: This note is only for disseminating knowledge and we do not intend to express any views or opinions in any manner whatsoever.

Source: www.pmrpy.gov.in

Author: Monica Thakur is Associate Company Secretary with M&K Associates and can be reached at mail@mnklaws.com