Centre-Owned Tea Gardens Face EPFO Action Over Alleged Rs 3.36 Crore PF Dues

MP, Sept 24, 2026, Jalpaiguri: A Central government-owned tea company under the Ministry of Heavy Industries has come under the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO)’s scanner over allegations of non-payment of more than Rs 3.36 crore in provident fund contributions deducted from workers’ wages.

The EPFO on Tuesday lodged separate FIRs at Banarhat Police Station against the managements of Karbala and Banarhat tea gardens, both operated by Andrew Yule & Company, a Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Heavy Industries.

According to the EPFO, Karbala Tea Garden deducted Rs 1,85,98,844 from workers’ salaries as provident fund contributions between April 2025 and August 2026 but allegedly failed to deposit the amount with the EPFO.

Similarly, Banarhat Tea Garden deducted Rs 1,50,66,739 between May 2025 and August 2026 but allegedly did not deposit the amount.

The FIRs were lodged under Section 316 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), corresponding to Sections 406/409 of the erstwhile Indian Penal Code.

On Tuesday, Amit Kumar Gupta, Enforcement Officer of the Central Government’s EPFO Regional Office, and Ratul Bhattacharya, Assistant Labour Commissioner of the Jalpaiguri Labour Department, jointly inspected the two tea gardens.

The alleged irregularities came to light during the inspection, following which separate complaints were lodged.

Jalpaiguri Regional PF Commissioner Pawan Kumar Bansal said, “The department is committed to protecting the interests of workers and taking strict action against organisations that violate the law. So far in 2026, FIRs have been filed against nine tea gardens.”

Apart from Karbala and Banarhat, the gardens named include Garganda, Tulsipara, Subhashini, Nimtijhora, Chinchula, Tasati and Dhumchipara.

According to EPFO sources, around 43 FIRs and more than 400 prosecution cases have been filed against defaulting tea gardens over the past six years.

In 2025-26, the Jalpaiguri Regional Office assessed Rs 75 crore and recovered around Rs 42 crore, nearly half of the total recovery across the West Bengal zone.