Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi

Udupi, Dec 10: Meeting a long-standing demand of grama panchayat (GP) employees, Udupi district has fully implemented Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) and Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) benefits, positioning itself as a model for social security coverage among rural administrative staff.

The initiative follows amendments by the state government to the Karnataka Grama Swaraj and Panchayat Raj Rules, 2022, which enabled taluk panchayat jurisdictions to act as implementation units for extending EPF and ESI facilities to approved grama panchayat employees.

While districts including Dharwad, Bengaluru Rural and Dakshina Kannada have introduced partial implementation, Udupi has completed the process in a systematic and coordinated manner.

Under the scheme, employees will contribute 12% of their basic pay and dearness allowance towards EPF, with an equal contribution by the respective panchayat. For ESI, workers will contribute 0.7%, while the panchayats will contribute 3.2%. The benefits include retirement savings, pension security, medical care and cash assistance, offering comprehensive protection for rural staff.

Zilla Panchayat CEO Prateek Bayal, who closely monitored the rollout, said that dedicated bank accounts had been opened at taluk panchayats in the names of executive officers and accounts officers, with supervisors appointed to oversee the process. “District-level workshops were conducted to educate grama panchayat staff and library supervisors about EPF and ESI benefits,” he said, noting that the structured approach ensured smooth execution.

Of the district’s 155 grama panchayats, 654 staff members and 149 library supervisors will now fall under EPF and ESI coverage. For employees who have been demanding these benefits since 2008, the development is being welcomed as a landmark achievement that strengthens both service security and healthcare access.

Padmanabha R Kulal Mudradi, state general secretary of the Karnataka Rajya Grama Panchayat Employees’ Welfare Association (RDPR), described the move as a historic milestone. He congratulated the district administration for “setting a benchmark for the state” and providing long-awaited assurance to rural administrative personnel.