Sweepers’ PF not deposited, Mohali MC orders probe

Contractors maintaining the Mohali municipal corporation’s 70 public toilets could have been siphoning off provident and medical insurance funds of 400 safai karamcharis

Contractors maintaining the Mohali municipal corporation’s 70 public toilets could have been siphoning off provident and medical insurance funds of 400 safai karamcharis in what could be a ₹78 lakh scam.

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Bhupinder Pal Singh, Mohali municipal corporation (MC) commissioner, on Thursday ordered a probe into the matter as it received complaints that employee provident fund (EPF) of 400 employees had not been forwarded for two years.

The move came after city mayor Kulwant Singh wrote a letter to the MC commissioner asking him to look into the matter, following which Bhupinder asked the executive engineer (operation and maintenance) to investigate.

The mayor in his letter said he had reason to believe that some contractors were deducting ₹800 per employee every month but not depositing it with the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation(EPFO)/ Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) according to rules.

The matter came to light when some safai karamcharis sought loans against their EPF and learnt that the amount had not been deposited by the contractor following which the sweepers’ union filed a complaint with
the civic body against one of the contractors.

The civic body has divided 70 public toilets into four zones for four contractors to maintain.

MC pays ₹32 lakh a month for their maintenance, which includes 13.34% PF for each worker. Yet, public toilets continue to remain in a bad state.

“The record of contractors maintaining the public toilets should be submitted to MC for checking within 15 days, failing which their payments should be stopped and the MC should complain to the EPFO against them,” the mayor wrote.

Also, the contract should be cancelled and the agencies blacklisted, with the report tabled in the next House meeting, he added.

On other violations, he said the contractors were not providing mustard oil, jaggery ( gur) and soaps to employees.

Their salaries were also being paid by 15th to 20th of a month instead of 7th.

“It is a serious issue and I have already asked the commissioner to probe the matter. We will not spare anyone. In case any official is also involved, action will be taken against him,” Kulwant said.

Despite employee complaints lodged earlier too against the contractors for non-deduction of EPF, no action was taken.

When contacted, MC commissioner Bhupinder, said, “I have marked an inquiry and have asked the executive engineer to submit a report. Action will only be initiated after the report is ready.”