DIBRUGARH, Dec 13 - Acting tough against violators of the provisions of the Assam Tea Plantation Provident Fund Scheme Act, 1955, the Recovery Office of the Assam Tea Employees Provident Fund Organization (ATEPFO) here attached three more tea estates in the district today. In February, the ATEPFO had attached the Kamini Tea Estate.
The three tea estates attached today are the Nandanban Tea Estate, Bochapathar Tea Estate and Kailashpur Tea Estate. These plantations belonging to M/s Bochapathar Tea Estate Private Limited were attached for defaulting on depositing the provident fund contributions of nearly 741 employees, amounting to about Rs 2.68 crore.
The Recovery Office of the ATEPFO attached the movable/immovable properties of the tea company by three separate orders (No. PF/ZO-DIB/Recovery/2017/E-23/022 dated 13/12/2017 pertaining to Nandanban TE), (No. PF/ZO-DIB/Recovery/2017/E-89/021 dated 13/12/2017 relating to Kailashpur TE) and (No. PF/ZO-DIB/Recovery/2017/E-26/020 dated 13/12/2017 pertaining to Bochapathar). The company had allegedly been a defaulter since 2004.
Prior to the attachment, the PF authority based here had issued a �notice of demand� to the management, allowing them 15 days� time to deposit their recovery certificate amount. But the company failed to comply with the notice sent to them, ATEPFO officials told The Assam Tribune.
The attachment process was carried out by Ambarish Srivastava, Additional PF Commissioner, ATEPFO, Head Office, Guwahati, Dhananjoy Das, Assistant PF Commissioner, Aparajit Dey, Fund Control Officer, Prafulla Chandra Kakati, Fund Control Officer, and Dhiren Kurmi, Assistant Fund Control Officer of Dibrugarh zone, in the presence of Labour Inspector Arpana Kindo and representatives of the Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha and the Assam Chah Karmachari Sangha.
Due to the attachment of the three defaulting tea estates, the plantation management herewith cannot sell, transfer or lease out the movable/immovable properties.