Action against municipal corporations, councils for not submitting PF records

Aurangabad, Sept 16:

The 19 municipal corporations and municipal councils in the Marathwada region have not submitted the provident funds (PF) records of the employees for the past 10 years. Hence, direct action will be taken on the administrations, and their properties will be seized and auctioned, informed the Employees provident fund office (EPFO) regional commissioner Jagdish Tambe.

Briefing a press conference, Tambe said, barring Osmanabad and Latur, the rest of the district, including Aurangabad, Parbhani and Nanded municipal corporations and Jalna, Beed and Hingoli municipal councils come under the jurisdiction of the regional EPFO.

The EPFO Act was implemented for the corporation and councils in 2011. The concerned administrations should provide the information of the employees to the office. However, not a single corporation or council has provided the complete information and lists of the employees in the past 10 years. The EPFO had sent notices on several occasions, but not a single corporation or council has provided any information. Hence, the regional commissioner had written a letter to the Directorate of Municipal Administration at Mumbai and update it with the present situation. However, the directorate has not replied in the given period.

Thus, orders have been issued to take action against the concerned corporations and councils, in which interest will be recovered at 12 percent rate and a 100 percent fine will be imposed. If the information is not provided, the properties can be seized and auctioned as per section 30. Punitive action can be taken against the concerned officer in the administration, which has the provision of imprisonment for three years, Tambe said.

It is the responsibility of the contractor to pay the PF contribution of the contractual employees. However, it is the responsibility of the concerned corporation and council administration to see whether the PF of the contractual employees is deducted, Tambe added.