PMVBRY 2025 seminar: EPFO drives major employment push in Jammu industrial belt

Jammu, Nov 19: The industries must not limit themselves to statutory compliance alone but should actively invest in training, skilling and educational programmes for their workforce.”

Chief Controller of Accounts (CCA), Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India, B K Agrawal stated this while addressing an outreach seminar on the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana 2025 (PMVBRY 2025) organised by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), Jammu at the premises of the Bari Brahmana Industrial Association (BBIA) on Wednesday.

Agrawal said that such efforts would prepare employees for future roles, improve productivity, and ensure that the region’s industrial sector remained competitive in the evolving economic landscape.

The programme witnessed participation from senior officers of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India, EPFO and leading representatives of major industrial bodies of the region.

Agrawal, a senior Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS) officer, who presided over the event, commended the enthusiastic participation of the local industrial community. Addressing the gathering, he emphasised that PMVBRY 2025 was a landmark initiative aimed at boosting formal employment and strengthening India’s social security architecture.

He urged industries to extend full cooperation in adopting the scheme and underlined that employers stand to benefit enormously through government support for new job creation.

He also spoke about the complementary advantages of ESIC and the employees’ enrolment campaign 2025, encouraging establishments to utilise these schemes effectively.

The seminar was attended by Lalit Mahajan, president BBIA; Ajay Langar, vice-president BBIA; Viraj Malhotra, general secretary BBIA; Rajesh Jain, secretary BBIA; Rishikant Gupta, treasurer BBIA; Arjun Malhotra general secretary Samba Industrial Association; Virendra Jain, president, Association of Industries Gangyal; Sanjay Langar, general secretary, Association of Industries Gangyal; S C Dutta, president, SSI Association Birpur; and Dr Pankaj Rastogi, DTNBWED.

Welcoming the dignitaries, Lalit Mahajan showcased the industrial profile of Jammu division and praised EPFO Jammu for its efficient claim settlement processes and prompt support to employers and employees.

He announced that a PMVBRY 2025 registration camp would be organised at the BBIA premises in the last week of November, enabling establishments to complete their registration smoothly with on-spot facilitation.

More than 150 establishments participated in the seminar, where EPFO officials briefed them on the operational framework, eligibility conditions, and incentives under PMVBRY 2025.

A dedicated facilitation desk was announced to guide employers on registration and compliance. EPFO Jammu also briefly highlighted its doorstep Jeevan Pramaan initiative aimed at assisting elderly and infirm pensioners in submitting their Digital Life Certificates without difficulty.

In his concluding remarks, Sumeet Singh, Regional PF Commissioner-I, said the overwhelming participation of industries reflected the region’s collective commitment to expanding formal employment.

He highlighted that more than 250 establishments and 4000 employees have already enrolled in the Yojana from Jammu division. Singh explained the benefits of the employees’ enrolment campaign 2025, reminding establishments that the six-month window offers an excellent opportunity to regularise enrolments with only a nominal penalty of Rs 100.

He assured that EPFO Jammu would continue providing field-level assistance to both pensioners and employers to ensure seamless service delivery.

The event concluded with a shared resolve among EPFO, industry associations, and employers to work together to advance formal employment and social security coverage across Jammu and Kashmir.