JUDGMENT

The petitioners are retired employees of the 6 th respondent, Ernakulam Regional Co-operative Milk Produces Union. The said establishment is covered under the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 (‘EPF Act’ for the sake of brevity). Being aggrieved by the refusal of the respondents to extend the provisions of the Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995 in its full vigor and mandate, they have approached this Court with this petition. To canvass the relief sought for, they mainly rely on a judgment of a Division Bench of this Court in Sasikumar P. and Ors v. Union of India and Ors. 1

2. For deciding the issues involved, it is necessary to recapitulate the skeletal facts. The issues raised by the petitioners are covered by precedents of this Court as well as the Hon’ble Supreme Court.

3. The petitioners herein are retired employees of the 6 th respondent covered under the provisions of the EPF Act. The Act provides for formulation of a Scheme for the creation of a Provident

[ILR 2019 (1) Ker. 614]

Fund account in the name of each employee of a covered establishment. The Fund was t