Government tightens measures against PF defaulters

Kolkata, Jul 9 (UNI) The West Bengal government was taking stringent measures against owners of industries who were not depositing the provident fund of workers, State Power and Labour Minister Mrinal Banerjee said today.

Replying to a question of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Manash Bhuniya in the Assembly, the Minister informed that FIRs were lodged against those ''defaulter industrialists'' and cases had also been filed against them.

Admitting that the non-payments of PF of labourers by some proprietors were registered for ''quite some time,'' Mr Banerjee said the practice had increased during the last fiscal.

In all, he said, 551 industry managements had failed to deposit the workers' PF during 2007-08, of which 281 and 270 belonged to Kolkata and Jalpaiguri respectively.

Mr Banerjee said a total amount of Rs 2970.26 lakhs was due under the head, of which Rs 2386.93 lakhs and Rs 583.33 lakhs were shared respectively by units in the city and Jalpaiguri.

''The government is committed to making the overall industrial scenario in the state 'crystal clear' and the erring industrialists will not be spared and brought to book,'' the Minister maintained.

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