Lt Governor Kiran Bedi has asked the Labour Secretary to examine the issue arising from 'default' in Provident Fund remittances of employees in PSUs and also cooperative societies to their Provident Fund accounts.
Bedi, in her note to the secretary, said Additional Commissioner of Central Provident Fund P D Sinha had briefed her on the default position on April 3 in respect of Public Sector Undertakings and cooperative societies of Puducherry government coming under the EPF.
Secretary to Lt Governor G Theva Needhi Dhas stated this in a release today.
Dhas said as PF relating to workers was one of the important welfare schemes available, the Lt Governor desired that the issue raised be closely monitored by the Labour Department so that the interests of the working class can be protected.
Bedi also observed that a serving or retired officer be tasked by Labour Department to examine the matter and submit recommendations in a time bound manner to address the issue.
Dhas said the Secretary to Labour Department has been requested to take appropriate action in this regard.
The former IPS officer had in a tweets yesterday raked up the issue that as per reports of PFofficials, there was a default by Puducherry PSUs and cooperatives societies in remittances of PF to the tune of Rs 36.23 crore.
Meanwhile official sources said the Lt Governor would be leaving for Delhi tomorrow.
Bedi,who was camping in Karaikal today in connection with her official engagements and also meetings with the Traders Association there, cut short her programmes and would return here tonight and leave for Delhi tomorrow, they said.
The sources however declined to clarify whether she was asked by the Home Ministry to proceed to the national capital.
Bedi has been at loggerheads with the government almost from almost the day she assumed office in May last year.
The turf war intensified recently after a Municipal Commissioner was transferred and kept under compulsory wait through an order of the Chief Secretary on March 30.
The order was issued in compliance with the ruling of the Speaker in the assembly that day after representations from MLAs of ruling Congress and opposition against the officer.
Bedi who was out of station then, haddescribed the order as 'invalid' and that she was the competent authority in all service matters of officers and asked the Commissioner to resume office on April 3 .
However after doing so, hefaced the charge of contempt of the House as the Speaker's order directing his replacement and to keep him under wait was in force.
Chief Minister V Narayanasamy hadendorsed the ruling.
A joint meeting of political parties, convened by ruling Congress, had adopted a resolutiontaking exception to Bedi's 'style of functioning'.It also decided that an all party delegation leave for Delhi to bring the situation to the notice of the President,Prime Minister and Home Minister.
No date was finalised for the visit.
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