सहारा का बड़बोलापन भारी पड़ रहा, पीएफ डिपार्टमेंट जांच करा रहा

सहारा वालों ने एक बार एक विज्ञापन निकालकर बड़ी बड़ी बातें कहीं थी और उसी में यह भी बताया था कि उनके यहां साढ़े दस लाख कर्मचारी काम करते हैं. बस, इसी बात को प्राविडेंट फंड डिपार्टमेंट वालों ने पकड़ लिया और जांच करा रहे हैं कि सहारा में अगरे इतने कर्मचारी हैं तो उनका पीएफ कटता या नहीं. अगर कटता है तो वो कहां जमा हुआ, कब जमा हुआ. सहारा का मामला सुप्रीम कोर्ट से लेकर सेबी तक में फंसा हुआ है.

सहारा वाले अंदरखाने काफी कुछ बदलाव भी कर रहे हैं. कई वेंचर से सहारा का मालिकाना हक खत्म कर रहे हैं ताकि उसे सहारा का एसेट न बताया जा सके. ऐसा इसलिए कि अगर सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने बाइस हजार करोड़ रुपये की गारंटी के लिए सहारा की संपत्तियों को सीज करना शुरू किया तो कुछ ऐसी संपत्ति, कंपनी, वेंचर बच जाएं जो सहारा की तो हों पर सहारा के मालिकाना हक से मुक्त हों. फिलहाल ये खबर पढ़िए जो इकानामिक टाइम्स में प्रकाशित हुई है, विकास धूत की बाइलाइन…

Subrata Roy-run Sahara group under EPFO scanner for compliance lapses

NEW DELHI: The Subrata Roy-run Sahara group is in for fresh trouble, this time from the provident fund department. Central Provident Fund Commissioner KK Jalan has asked officers at the fund's Uttar Pradesh office to initiate swift action for alleged compliance lapses by Sahara group, which claimed to have 10.13 lakh employees in an advertising blitzkrieg last December.

The move comes days after the Supreme Court asked two of the Sahara group companies whether they can give a 20,000-crore bank guarantee. The court was hearing a contempt petition by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) against the group.

Sahara had launched the advertising campaign to counter the pall of negativity around its activities ever since it came under the market regulator Sebi and Supreme Court scanners for raising funds from millions of investors allegedly in violation of laws.

Though the regional PF office had initiated a probe into the group's compliance status for these employees under the Employees' Provident Fund Act of 1952 within weeks of the ad campaign, it has been pulled up for failing to take the matter to its logical conclusion. "Necessary action against Sahara and its other defaulting companies has to be initiated and report submitted to the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation ( EPFO) headquarters," Jalan told the officials in-charge of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar at a recent review meeting, minutes of which were reviewed by ET.

Subrata Roy-run Sahara group under EPFO scanner for compliance lapses
A senior official aware of the developments at the meeting told ET that sometimes officials fear taking action against powerful entities.

"So, a clear message has been sent to officials to act against all defaulters irrespective of who they are. The Sahara group and its companies are no exception," the official said. "Now the local PF office has no option but to act."

Jalan also directed all zonal PF heads to personally monitor recovery of workers' retirement savings in all default cases where the pending amount exceeds 50 lakh. Senior PF officials told ET that the Sahara group firms are likely to have evaded employees' PF dues on a large scale, if its claim of having a 10.13 lakh-strong workforce is true.

A Sahara group spokesperson, however, rejected the charge.

"The exercise is in the absence of any apparent violation of any law, rule, regulation or circular of the PF authorities by the Sahara Group," the spokesperson said, stressing that the PF department's action was not the result of any complaint but was a "routine affair". "All inspections till October 2012 have been to the satisfaction of the PF authorities, without any objections till then," he added.

The Sahara group's advertisements, issued on December 1 last year, had claimed that it has a workforce of 10.13 lakh salaried and field workers' who are "earning bread and butter for their families".

"It is submitted that the Sahara group is not privy to either your learning about any action against the group. Further, the investigation being carried out, its manner, procedure and the (illegal) demands made have been challenged before the Hon'ble High Court, Lucknow, and the matter is sub-judice as on date," the Sahara group spokesperson said, adding it would "not be in the appropriateness of things to say anything in respect of the alleged action initiated as per your knowledge".

The PF office had issued a show-cause notice to Sahara India on December 21 last year, asking the company why its premises must not be entered, searched and seized by its inspectors since it has been refusing to share employee records and details related to their PF payments.

(साभार- इकानामिक टाइम्स)