Chandigarh: The Haryana Government has issued a stringent new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) directing all Departments, Boards, and Corporations to ensure timely payment of lumpsum amounts to the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam Limited (HKRNL), with a special emphasis on ensuring seamless and time-bound Employee Provident Fund (EPF) compliance through a streamlined mechanism.
In a letter written by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi to all Administrative Secretaries, Heads of Departments, and Managing Directors of Boards, it has been stated that the new SOP aims to ensure uniformity, transparency, and timely disbursement of payments for contractual employees deployed through HKRNL, while ensuring that statutory obligations, particularly Employee Provident Fund compliance, are fulfilled promptly without departments directly handling PF accounts.
The SOP clearly defines the responsibilities of each stakeholder involved in the payment process. The Head of Office is responsible for verifying records and issuing timely administrative approval to prevent delays in wage disbursement. The Drawing & Disbursing Officer has been designated as the central figure in this process, tasked with verifying invoices, attendance, and deployment records; ensuring that payment of the indent cost to HKRNL is completed before the 7th of every month; uploading accurate EPF and ESI details on the HKRNL portal; and updating the portal with details of exits or maternity leave. The DDO must also inform HKRNL within 24 hours of any accident involving employees covered under ESIC and ensure that payments are deposited only into the VAN account mentioned on HKRNL invoices.
The Accounts Branch is required to scrutinize calculations and process bank transfers to HKRNL’s designated account, while the Nodal Officer is responsible for coordinating with HKRNL on manpower records, clarifications, and dispute resolution. The SOP outlines a clear payment workflow beginning with the receipt of a consolidated monthly invoice from HKRNL containing employee details, wages, statutory contributions, and service charges. DDOs must verify deployment, attendance, sanctioned strength, and calculation accuracy before forwarding the bills along with the prescribed verification form to the Head of Office for approval.
Once approved, a sanction order must be issued and the payment transferred exclusively to HKRNL’s designated account. Departments have been strictly prohibited from depositing PF amounts directly to the EPFO. All departments are required to maintain a Monthly Payment Register and preserve copies of invoices, attendance sheets, payment proofs, and related documents for audit readiness. PF-related grievances from contractual employees must be routed to HKRNL, with departments providing service records as needed.
The SOP stresses that timely verification and payment release are essential for ensuring prompt salary disbursement and statutory compliance by HKRNL. Any discrepancy in the invoice must be communicated to HKRNL within three working days. Departments, Boards, and Corporations have also been barred from entering into any direct contract with HKRNL-deployed manpower regarding wages or PF matters. All DDOs have been directed to ensure strict compliance with these new procedures with immediate effect.
