A survey by Regional Provident Fund Department Karnal has detected a fraud worth over Rs 200 crore by nearly 3542 private firms in eight districts Karnal, Panipat, Sonepat, Kurukshetra, Yamunanagar, Ambala, Kaithal and Panchkula in the region in Haryana state and sent them notices to deposit the amount of employees provident fund (PF) in their account in 15 days, failing which their bank accounts would be attached and action would be taken against them.
According to Amit Singla Regional Commissioner EPFO, preliminary investigation reveals that out of total number of 3542 defaulter private firms 2241 companies were found deducting provident fund amount from their employees salaries but didn’t deposited the amount worth Rs 23.25 crore in their account as such decided to take action against these firms as per section 7A of EPF and MP Act 1952.
Information reveals that the case was handed over to vigilance department for investigation. The Regional Provident Office Karnal initially prepared a list of top 10 defaulter firms in all eight districts under Regional PF office Karnal and sent to vigilance department, which included 11 government offices.
Vikram Singh, Assistant Commissioner & Recovery officer, disclosed that Panipat leads with maximum number of 563 defaulters in eight districts, followed by 441 defaulters in Sonepat, 360 defaulters in Karnal, 272 defaulters in Yamunanagar, 199 defaulters in Ambala, 187 defaulters in Panchkula, 136 defaulters in Kurukshetra and 83 defaulters in Kaithal districts.
Investigation also reveals that outsourcing recruitment agencies working in government departments in the state playing major role in PF frauds and large number of employees recruited by these agencies working in government departments were found sufferers deprived of the benefits of PF scheme by the government.
These agencies providing manpower to government departments in the state are liable for the benefits of PF scheme and procure PF amount from the government department but avoid depositing the same in their PF account managing not to register their names in PF record as such fraud worth crores of rupees detected during preliminary investigation and case was handed over to vigilance department, Singla said that the recovery of amount worth over Rs 32 crores is expected which would be deposited in the PF account of nearly 1.77 lakh workers after receipt of vigilance report. Preliminary investigation also reveals that four private agencies supplying manpower to four government departments at Panipat were found involved in PF fraud conspiracy and stern action is being taken against them for the recovery of amount.
Vigilance survey further reveals that outsourcing agencies are supplying manpower to four prominent government departments including Haryana Vidyut Prsaran Nigam, Forest Department, Food & Supply Department and Municipal Corporation in the state where the workers were found worst affected deprived of PF benefits of value over Rs 100 crore in Municipals Corporations alone in which provident fund of large number of ‘safai karamcharis’ was not transferred in their account since long time.
The Vigilance Department during investigation observed that the number of workers arranged by outsource agency in the in government offices was much higher in the attendance registers than agencies records in many cases thus the agency was found making embezzlements in their provident amount besides getting the benefits of commission payable to them by the government department for arranging manpower.
