Social security contributions worth ₹4,111.82 crore have not been deposited with the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) during FY17 by errant employers.

This information was shared in the Lok Sabha by Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Labour and Employment, Santosh Kumar Gangwar, in response to a query.

PF contributions are made by both employers and employees. The ‘swindled’ amount comprises contributions made by employees but not deposited with the EPFO, according to the Labour Ministry.

According to Gangwar, the due amount has grown steadily since FY13. From ₹2,272.05 crore in FY13, the dues grew to ₹2,515.25 crore in FY14, ₹2,920.62 crore in FY15 and ₹3,465.38 crore in FY16.

According to Labour Ministry data, Tamil Nadu (including Puducherry) has the highest number of cases where the employer has made PF deductions from employees’ salaries but not deposited the amount with the EPFO. The trend has been growing steadily in the region since FY13, and 1,768 cases were reported in FY17.

Second after TN is West Bengal (including Andaman & Nicobar and Sikkim), with 1,558 cases against employers under Section 406/409 of the Indian Penal Code-1860 for not depositing EPF contributions.

The best performing State here is Chhattisgarh, with no reported cases from FY15 to FY17.

Maharashtra tops the charts when it comes to the size of the disputed amount. According to the Labour Ministry, the pending amount of recovery of EPF dues from the State is ₹789.52 crore. The second most errant are employers in Delhi, with ₹529.04 crore under dispute.

Goa, with ₹5.78 crore, has the lowest contested amount of pending EPF dues.

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