Employers in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh are called to swiftly enhance social security coverage for workers and align payroll systems with recent regulatory updates, including a significant increase in the wage ceiling for mandatory coverage under the social security code.
Employers across Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh should move quickly to widen social security coverage for workers and bring payroll systems into line with the latest rules, according to Ajay K. Mehra, the additional central provident fund commissioner for the region. Mehra said establishments should review staff records, identify eligible employees and ensure compliance with new provisions and welfare measures from the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation.
A key change is the increase in the statutory wage ceiling for mandatory coverage under the Code on Social Security, 2020, from ₹15,000 to ₹25,000 a month. The revision, which took effect on 17 September 2026, is expected to pull many more workers into the Employees’ Provident Fund, Employees’ Pension Scheme and Employees’ Deposit Linked Insurance framework. The move could extend mandatory coverage to more than 51 lakh additional employees nationwide, according to reports in Indian business media.
Mehra also pointed to VISHWAS, 2026, a six-month settlement window that began on 29 June 2026 for disputes linked to damages under the social security code. The scheme covers eligible cases at different stages, including litigation, unpaid orders and pending notices. He said the response in Jammu and Kashmir has been encouraging, with more than 100 establishments already applying.
He further urged employers to use the Employees’ Enrolment Campaign, 2026, which runs until 31 October 2026, to bring in eligible workers who were missed earlier and joined between 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2026. Under that campaign, damages are capped at ₹100 and the employee’s share is waived where it was not deducted. Mehra also called for continued participation in the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana, saying the wider aim is to strengthen formal employment and expand the social security net.
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