Wrap-up: Provident and prudent

The police lathicharges garment workers protesting against the new EPF withdrawal norm in Bengaluru. (Photo: PTI)

As protests against stringent norms for withdrawal of money from the Employees’ Provident Fund turned violent, with garment workers in Bengaluru setting ablaze public transport and even attacking a police station, a cornered Central government on Tuesday cancelled the notification regarding the tighter rules. The cancellation announcement was made by Union labour and employment minister Bandaru Dattatreya.

Buckling in the face of protests, the government revoked the order tightening rules for withdrawal of PF money within hours of first keeping it in abeyance for three more months.

Giving reasons for the rollback, the minister said, “The reason is the request of trade unions. The earlier decision (to tighten the PF withdrawal norms) was also taken by the opinion of the trade unions.

Our take Government has to understand that savings like PF play an extremely crucial part in a common man’s life. Mostly, the sum is used for medical treatment, education, marriage, or ilk. Tinkering with this fund, which is nothing but a man’s hard earned money and right, does not behove good for a government. In fact it should pay more attention in catching big thieves rather than going after common men and making their lives miserable. The other day, even Supreme Court expressed concern that rich and unscrupulous elements with money power abuse the judicial process and waste the time of the courts. This is the area which should be of concern for the government, and not a poor worker’s hardearned PF.