Provident Fund claim related?

[unss94]

My brother had applied for his PF money after leaving the job. The application was made to Merrut PF office in UP in acordance with the documents askd by his previous employer.

Recently he received his claim papers rejected from the office of PF commisnor with note that "The claim shall not be processed unless it contains a copy of the front page of the employee's bank account Pass book in which the claim maony has to be transferred duly verified by the employer".

Please note that my brother has his salary account in HDFC bank opend by the same employer and he had attached a verified copy of the bank statement issued by HDFC bank for this purpose as no private bank isues a pass book these days instead they send monthly statement or a half yearly/ quarterly statement (on special request).
The statement was duly attested by the officials of the employer.

After enquiring with some other people who had earlier applied for the PF claims in the same PF ofice is was found that they has also faced simmilar type of problems even when there was no valid reason. Also it was found that the oficials at PF ofice are doing these malpractices so that people meet them personnaly and bribe them to process their claims.

Please advice what action should be taken for these malpractices. Sholud he meet these officials personnaly and argue with them or can we take some legal action against the PF commisnor as his claim was correct and was supported by all the required documents.

[werner72]

If the Bank statement duly signed by the previous employer was attached with the application for claiming the PF money and same is rejected with by the PF office, than your brother should meet the higher official in the PF office who should be told about the bank statement,duly signed by employer has been attached as there is no practise of issuing Pass Book by Private Banks like HDFC, if still the higher official refuse to allow the PF claim application, let your brother file a RTI to the PF department, seeking information to why the valid bank account statement duly signed by the employer deducting PF of the employee is not acceptable and only Pass Book front page allowed, also if the given bank doesn't issue any Pass Book what other valid document from the bank will be valid for this purpose.
Once a RTI application is filled the PF department shall process the refund application of the PF immediately.