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HT Impact: PF office promises to credit money to former Swastik Rubber staff’s account
Hindustan Times had reported about 420 former staff of defunct Swastik Rubber Products Ltd running from pillar to post for 16 years to recover PF dues.
Pune The provident fund office at Akurdi has stated that in spite of non-availability of required annual and monthly provident fund (PF) returns, the PF office was in the process of crediting the recovered partial amount in the eligible members PF account. Hindustan Times had reported about 420 former staff of defunct Swastik Rubber Products Ltd running from pillar to post for 16 years to recover PF dues. The PF office sent a written reply to HT assuring that its office will be crediting the amount in former Swastik Rubber employees’ account.
Swastik Rubber Products union, an umbrella organisation of former employees fighting for their PF rights, had complained to central provident fund commissioner in August this year; besides writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention in the matter.
The email communication from assistant commissioner, PF, Akurdi, Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), Pune 2 stated, “In this regard, it is to inform that in spite of non-availability of required annual and monthly PF returns, this office is in the process of crediting the recovered partial amount in the eligible members’ PF account. Also regarding recovery action of pending amount, all possible recovery actions have been taken. Since the establishment is under liquidation, the Official Liquidator, High Court of Bombay has been requested to expedite the liquidation process and settle PF dues at the earliest.”
The PF office had earlier stated of CP Audichya as employees’ representative to pursue matter on their behalf. (On a brief background check it was found that CP Audichya is neither an ex-employee nor employer and is having questionable credentials. While serving as assistant labour commissioner in 1993, he indulged in corruption and was trapped by CBI in Goa. Subsequently he was convicted by court and jailed for 2 years.). Refuting the charges, Audichya stated, “The news published is without proper knowledge and pro PF Department officers. PF department has absolutely failed in doing its duty to provide social security to private and public sector employees and if someone wants to help these helpless employees or workers these officer do not like,” he said.
Audichya claimed that he has requested the labour minister and the prime minister to take action against the EPFO who has absolutely failed in doing its duty efficiently. It is the duty of EPFO to collect PF and pension contribution timely from the employers and return to the member employees on their separation or retirement. He said money of 40,000 crore members are lying unused with EPFO because the office is not perusing timely returns from employers, not crediting in the members account in time and not maintaining record. It is a well-established fact that honest, dedicated and pro poor officers cannot work in the existing system, Audichya stated.
The past
420 employees of the now defunct Swastik Rubber Products Ltd have been running from pillar to post for the last 16 years for recovery of their provident fund (PF) dues from the government since 2003.
The aggrieved staff maintain that whenever they approached the provident fund authorities, their standard reply has been that they were not in a position to transfer their amount due to non-submission of Income Tax (I-T) returns by the company.
