The Assam Tea Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (ATEPFO) attached the factory of Chenijan Tea Estate in the district for defaulting in depositing the Provident Fund contributions of workers and staff.
The Chenijan Tea Estate authority has not deposited the matching amount of the employer to the ATEPFO.
ATEPFO operates under the State Labour Welfare department.
The attachment of a property is carried out by the ATEPFO under the relevant provisions of the Assam Tea Plantation Provident Fund Scheme Act 1955.
The assistant PF commissioner-cum-recovery officer (ATEPFO, Jorhat zonal office) Someswar Barhoi, who led the team to attach the factory, on Friday said that the garden owners emerged defaulter in depositing the PF share deducted from the garden workers and staff and the matching share of the management amounting to Rs 38,39,115 for the period of March 29, 2017 to August 14, 2018.
He further said a case (No. 304/2019) has also been registered at the Teok Police Station under relevant Sections of the IPC against the manager and a director of the company after he had lodged an FIR stating that the management of the estate failed to deposit PF amount deducted from the workers and staff and the matching share of the management amounting to Rs 17,37,098 for the period August 15, 2018 to April 9, 2019.
Barhoi said the team consisting of two fund control officers of his office – Anuj Gowala and Motilal Thakur – labour inspector Bijoy Kumar Thakur and a police party led by the in-charge of Lahdoigarh police outpost N Ali, hung notices of attaching the factory in the garden premises as per procedure.
It may be mentioned here that after the government attaches property of a defaulting company, then the said company cannot sell, transfer or lease out any immovable or movable property owned by it to any other party or organisation.
However, during the attachment period, the day-to-day business activity of the garden could continue.