Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has launched “VISHWAS 2026”, a one-time dispute resolution initiative to facilitate amicable settlement of disputes relating to the levy of penalty or damages under Section 14B of the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 and Section 128 of the Code on Social Security, 2020.
VISHWAS, 2026, has been introduced with the objective of promoting voluntary compliance, reducing litigation, and enabling speedy resolution of long-pending disputes relating to penalty or damages while safeguarding the interests of employees. The scheme provides employers with an opportunity to settle eligible cases through a transparent, fully digital and time-bound process, according to an official statement issued on Friday.
Applications under VISHWAS 2026 have to be submitted online through the EPFO Employer Portal using Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) or e-sign. The process has been designed to ensure ease of filing, online verification, digital processing and issuance of settlement orders within a defined timeframe.
The scheme, which came into force on June 29, 2026, will remain operational for six months.
The scheme covers four broad categories of cases which include cases where orders for penalty or damages are under challenge before a judicial forum; final damages or penalty orders where recovery is pending or only partly made, including Recovery Certificate (RRC) cases; cases where notices have been issued but final orders for damages or penalty are yet to be passed; and cases where notices for penalty or damages are yet to be issued.
