PF RULES TIGHTENED

To curb the menace of manipulation and weed out ghost accounts, the Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has tightened the rules, making it compulsory for companies to list details of employees - both permanent and contractual - on the electronic challan-cum-return (ECR), and prescribed stiff penalties including imprisonment for employers unable or unwilling to furnish details of workers eligible for PF contribution.