Contractors fined for not paying wages

The Delhi Metro has imposed minor penalties on three of its contractors for alleged major financial irregularities - such as denying minimum wages to workers and allotment of fake provident fund and insurance accounts - but has not debarred any of them. Subhendu Ray reports.

The Delhi Metro has imposed minor penalties on three of its contractors for alleged major financial irregularities - such as denying minimum wages to workers and allotment of fake provident fund and insurance accounts - but has not debarred any of them.

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The contractors G4S Secure Solutions (India) Pvt Ltd, Bedi and Bedi Associates and Prehari Protection Systems Pvt Ltd provide customer facilitation and watch and ward service, ticket vending service and security and cleaning services, respectively.

The matter was tabled in Parliament recently and questions raised if these contractors were blacklisted.

Metro officials said the veracity of the complaints was being investigated internally. The complaints were related to late disbursement of wages and irregularities in Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and Employees State Insurance (ESI) benefits against Bedi & Bedi, EPF irregularities against G4S and late disbursement of wages against Prehari.

The DMRC imposed penalties of Rs 8.65 lakh on Bedi & Bedi and Rs 22,800 on Prehari. Penalty was imposed on G4S as the contractor has filed an appeal in the EPF appellate tribunal. "If such complaints persist, we will take stern action against them," said Anuj Dayal, spokesperson of DMRC.

Asked why the DMRC did not blacklist these contractors, officials said: "We will ensure such irregularities do not take place again."

A spokesperson of G4S, said: "We've always complied with EPF rules and never evaded paying PF dues of workers. We have always charged our clients on the basis of its wage structure and deposited the same with the PF department."

Prehari, however, admitted too a delay in the disbursement of salaries. According to a company official, the delay happened as the company did not receive payments from several clients on time.

Bedi & Bedi Associates' officials could not be contacted for comment.