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The Labour Ministry is launching a cleanup of over 7.11 lakh inoperative EPF accounts, refunding ₹30.52 crore to members with balances of ₹1,000 or less. The funds will be credited automatically to Aadhaar-linked bank accounts without any need for paperwork or visits to EPFO offices.

This initiative is part of a larger reform effort under EPFO 3.0, which aims to modernize services and reduce claim settlement times to under three days. Currently, over ₹10,900 crore is lying idle across 31.86 lakh inoperative accounts, with a phased review planned for future refunds beyond the initial group of small accounts. The government’s focus is on enhancing automation and member convenience.