21 lakh inactive EPF accounts hold ₹8,500 crore; govt acts

Many workers in India have a special savings account called a Provident Fund, where a part of their salary is saved for the future.

The government found that more than 21 lakh of these accounts have not been touched for a long time.

Together, the money in these quiet accounts is worth about ₹8,500 crore.

Most of the time, this happens because workers leave their jobs and forget to ask for their money.

The government keeps track of how many such accounts exist every year, and the number has been growing.

One reason is that the government is now better at finding these accounts using Aadhaar details.

If you do not take your money out even after you turn 58, the account stops earning interest.

To help people, the government has made a new plan where claims can be started automatically.

This way, the money can be sent directly to people's bank accounts without them having to do much.