The controversy over payment of provident fund to former employees of the abandoned rubber factory, Synthetic Chemicals Ltd (SCL) here, refuses to die down. Now, EPFO plans to move court against the administration.
District magistrate RV Singh on Tuesday had to clarify why the administration lodged an FIR under IPC section 420 (cheating) against assistant commissioner of employees provident fund organisation (EPFO) Jogendra Singh and branch manager of Kotak Mahindra Bank Harmeet Singh for issuing a demand draft of Rs 1.32 crore from the bank account of special land acquisition officer (SLAO) a few days ago. The sum was used to pay the PF.
Terming the decision as a legal as well as moral compulsion, Singh said, “Had we not lodged the FIR, the land acquisition officer would have been suspended and an inquiry would have been set up against him.”
The EPFO commissioner had written to the Kotak Mahindra Bank on February 22 to issue a demand draft worth Rs 1.32 crore as PF amount of the employees of the factory could be paid off.
