EPF Appellate Tribunal (Procedure) Rules, 1997 Amended

In exercise of the powers confirmed by sub section (1) of Section 21 of the Employees' Provident Fund & Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, Central Government has made further amendment to the Employees' Provident Funds Appellate Tribunal (Procedure) Rules, 1997. The amendment relates to Rule 6 which contains the provision relating to place of filing the Appeals and Rule 7 which contains the provision relating to Fee, time for filing Appeal, deposit of amount due on filing appeals. A copy of the Gazette of India dated 4.1.2016 is enclosed.

1. The Rule 6 reads as under:

“6. Place of filing appeals,- The appeal shall ordinarily be filed by the appellant with the Registrar of the Tribunal within whose jurisdiction:-

(i) the appellant is residing for the time being, or

(ii) the cause of action has arisen, or

(iii) the respondent or any of the respondents against whom relief is sought, ordinarily resides.

The amended Rules reads as under :

“6. Place of filing appeals,- The appeal shall ordinarily be filed by the appellant with the Registrar of the Tribunal within whose jurisdiction the cause of action has arisen.”

2. The Rule 7(1) reads as under;

“Fee, time for filing appeal, deposit of amount due on filing appeal,- (1) Every appeal filed with the Registrar shall be accompanied by a fee of Rupees Five Hundred to be remitted in the form of Crossed Draft on a nationalized Bank in favour the Registrar of the Tribunal and payable at the main branch of that Bank at the station where the seat of the said Tribunal situate.”

The amended Rule 7(1) reads as under;

“(1) Every appeal filed with the Registrar shall be accompanied by a fee of two thousand rupees to be remitted in the form of crossed demand draft on a nationalized bank in favour of the Registrar of the Tribunal and payable at the main branch of that Bank at the station where the seat of the said Tribunal is situated.”

In terms of the above amendment, Appeal shall be ordinarily filed with the Registrar of Tribunal in whose jurisdiction, the cause of action has arisen. Clauses (ii) and (iii) of the existing Rule 6 have been deleted. Further, the fee payable for filing the Appeal has been enhanced from Rs.500/- to Rs.2,000/-.