Rs 1,084 Crore EPF Dispute Freezes Pune Zilla Parishad Funds, Leaving Thousands of Pensioners in Distress
Reported by Shoaib Tadvi
Pune, 20th May 2026: Hundreds of retired employees associated with the Pune District Pension Association and allied pensioners’ organisations are facing severe hardship due to delays in the disbursement of monthly pensions. The issue has triggered strong reactions from pensioners, social activists and employee unions, with growing demands for immediate government intervention.
According to complaints submitted to the Maharashtra Chief Minister’s Office, Pune Collectorate and Pune Zilla Parishad administration, many retired employees have still not received their pensions despite more than half of May having passed. Pensioners, many of whom are senior citizens, are reportedly struggling to manage expenses related to medicines, medical treatment, electricity bills, household needs and bank commitments.
The controversy intensified after reports emerged that several bank accounts linked to the Pune Zilla Parishad were allegedly frozen in connection with issues related to Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) and pension fund compliance. An order issued by the Regional Provident Fund Commissioner-I, Pune, directed recovery proceedings against the Pune Zilla Parishad over alleged EPF defaults involving Anganwadi workers, helpers and other employees.
According to the order, the Pune Zilla Parishad was held liable for alleged EPF dues amounting to more than Rs 1,084 crore for the period between October 1986 and March 2024. The order further stated that failure to remit the amount within the stipulated period could result in execution proceedings and additional legal action.
However, officials associated with the matter stated that the officer who issued the order has since been transferred. The development has added further uncertainty to the ongoing administrative and legal process surrounding the EPF dispute.
Social activist and BJP member Jaymala Dhankikar raised the issue publicly through official complaints, emails to authorities and social media posts demanding urgent action. She also appealed directly to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and senior government officials to intervene immediately.
Speaking on the issue, Jaymala Dhankikar said, “Senior citizens are suffering because of this delay. Many retired employees depend entirely on their monthly pension for medicines, household expenses and daily survival. It is extremely unfortunate that they are being forced to borrow money due to administrative delays. The government must immediately release the pending pensions and ensure such incidents do not happen again.”
In one of the representations submitted to authorities, pensioners’ organisations claimed that repeated follow-ups with the concerned departments have yielded only “technical and administrative reasons” without any clear timeline for releasing the pending amount.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that the Pune Zilla Parishad administration has approached the state legal and judiciary departments and sought legal advice from the Advocate General regarding the matter. Sources said efforts are also underway to resolve issues related to frozen bank accounts and EPF compliance procedures.
Employee unions and pension associations have warned that if the issue is not resolved soon, protests and further legal action may follow.
Retired employees have appealed to the Maharashtra government for urgent intervention, stating that the delay is causing financial and mental stress to thousands of pensioners across Pune district.
