HC directs to issue notice to Centra, State Govts, Mathadi Board, PF commissioner

Aurangabad, May 18:

Aurangabad bench of Bombay High Court comprising Justice S V Gangapurwala and Justice S D Kulkarni has issued directives to serve notice to Central and State Governments, Aurangabad Mathadi Board and provident fund (PF) commissioner into coolies and, Mathadis PF irregularities case.

The lawyers collected notice on behalf of respondents. The hearing was to be held on April 22, 2021.

Transport and Dock Workers union (Mumbai) filed a petition through adv B R Kaware, making an accusation that Mathadi Board committed PF irregularities in connivance with PF office.

The petitioner requested the court to issue directives to probe the matter and take action against the officers concerned. A total of 10 per cent amount is deducted by Mathadi Board from the monthly salary of labourers. Also, the Board also deposits share of equal amount in the PF office.

The PF was deducted for the past ten years but, labourers did not get any benefit from the scheme. Aurangabad Mathadi Board collected crores of rupees from 2012 to 2020 as PF amount from coolies, Mathadi and labourers.

During the audit report of the Board of 2017-18, it was found that Rs 15.29 crore were deducted in one year from labourers salary.

“There are 33 Mathadi Boards in the State and they deducted the PF amount but have not provided any benefit to the labourers in a similar way”, it was stated in the petition.

Hamals and Mathadis did correspondence with Mathadi Board and PF Commissioner through MP Imtiaz Jalee time and again.

“We were just given assurance of doing probe but, no action was taken our complaint. Even MP Imtiaz Jaleel raised the matter in Lok Sabha,” the petitioners said in their plea.

Advocates B R Kawde and Nitin Dhoble have appeared for the petitioners while advocates B D Dhongde, A K Choudary and Sujit Karlekar are representing the Government.