Alipurduar, July 8 -- The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has initiated proceedings to register an FIR against Subhashini Tea Estate in Hasimara, Alipurduar district, for allegedly failing to deposit employees' provident fund (PF) contributions after deducting the amounts from their wages.
The complaint has been submitted to Hasimara Police Station by the Jalpaiguri Regional Office of the EPFO under the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment.
According to EPFO officials, an audit conducted on July 6 at the estate, owned by Bijaynagar Tea Company Limited, revealed alleged financial irregularities.
The audit found that provident fund contributions amounting to Rs.75,41,993, deducted from employees' salaries between February 2025 and May 2026, were not deposited with the EPF
within the prescribed period.
Based on the audit findings, the EPFO has sought registration of an FIR under Section 316 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which pertains to criminal breach of trust.
In a press release, the EPFO said that deducting provident fund contributions from employees' wages without remitting them within the stipulated time frame constitutes a serious violation of labour laws and breaches employees' statutory social security rights.
The organisation further stated that it has initiated legal action, including the registration of FIRs, against nearly 40 establishments over the past six years for similar violations, leading to the recovery of more than Rs.15 crore in unpaid provident fund dues.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.