New Delhi: The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has launched ‘VISHWAS 2026′, a one-time dispute resolution scheme to facilitate the amicable settlement of cases related to damages and penalties imposed on employers under the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 and the Code on Social Security, 2020.
The scheme, which came into effect on June 29, 2026, will remain open for six months. It aims to promote voluntary compliance, reduce litigation and enable the speedy resolution of long-pending disputes while safeguarding employees’ interests.
According to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the scheme covers cases pending before courts or tribunals, final penalty orders where recovery is pending, cases where notices have been issued but orders are yet to be passed, and cases where notices are yet to be issued.
Under the scheme, penalties for defaults committed before June 14, 2024, will be recalculated at concessional rates ranging from 0.25% to 1% per month, depending on the duration of the default.
To avail the benefit, employers must first clear the applicable statutory interest and submit an undertaking that they will not pursue further legal proceedings on the settled dispute. Cases involving fraud, misappropriation, deliberate falsification of records or those where penalties have already been fully recovered are not eligible.
Applications can be submitted online through the EPFO Employer Portal using a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) or e-Sign. EPFO has also set up dedicated VISHWAS Cells across its field offices to assist employers and ensure time-bound processing of applications.
