PANAJI
While granting one-time regularisation to contractual employees who have completed at least 10 years of continuous service, the State Government has now decided to extend Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) coverage to eligible contractual employees of government departments, corporations, autonomous bodies and public sector undertakings.
The benefit will cover those who joined their establishments between April 1, 2009 and March 31, 2026, and continue to work on contract.
EPF coverage
The decision follows the Employees Enrolment Campaign, 2026, notified by the Ministry of Labour and Employment in the Gazette of India on June 29, 2026. Under the scheme, employers can enrol employees who joined an establishment during the specified period but, for various reasons, were not enrolled under the EPF scheme earlier.
In a notification, Under Secretary (Personnel) Raghuraj Faldesai has directed all Heads of Departments, corporations, autonomous bodies and PSUs to apply for EPF coverage for eligible contractual employees working in their respective organisations.
The move is expected to provide an important social security benefit to contractual employees who have remained outside the EPF framework despite working in government establishments for several years.
Contribution limits
According to the guidelines, employees will not have to pay their share of the contribution if it was not deducted earlier. However, the employer’s contribution will be restricted to the prescribed wage ceiling. For the period from April 1, 2009 to August 31, 2014, the wage ceiling is Rs 6,500, with the maximum contribution capped at Rs 885 per month. From September 1, 2014 to March 31, 2026, the wage ceiling is Rs 15,000, with the maximum contribution capped at Rs 1,950 per month, including administrative and EDLI charges applicable to the wage ceiling.
Interest provision
The scheme also provides for payment of interest at 12 per cent, while penal damages have been limited to Rs 100 per establishment. The Government has clarified that provident fund contributions by both employers and employees will be governed by the provisions of the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, as amended from time to time.
Up to 5-year age relaxation for contractual workers
PANAJI: The State Government has granted age relaxation of up to five years to contractual workers applying for direct recruitment to government posts.
Under the decision, contractual employees who have worked in government departments, autonomous bodies and corporations, including eligible empanelled employees of the Goa Human Resource Development Corporation (GHRDC), will get age relaxation equivalent to their total period of contractual service, subject to a maximum of five years.
The benefit will apply only to workers whose initial contractual or empanelled appointment was made through an open advertisement and the prescribed recruitment procedure.
