More than 45 sugar factories in Maharashtra are facing stern action from the West Zone Provident Fund (PF) department for the recovery of Rs 75 crore.

Ironically, most of 45 sugar factories in Maharashtra fall in Latur, Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh’s hometown.

As the factories have not paid their PF contribution, the department has begun sealing the godowns and freezing the banks accounts.

The PF department had sent the details of the current and the past dues to the 45 sugar factories, but failed to get any response as a few of them are owned by politicians.

Maharashtra tops in the entire West Zone in non-payment of the PF dues by sugar factories. The West Zone covers Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan.

“Out of the four states, Maharashtra sugar factories have not contributed their share of the PF for many years. As a result, the dues have been mounting, causing inconvenience to the workers,” West Zone Commissioner V N Sharma said.

“It is true that our officers got threats to their life from an Aurangabad-based political leader. We may ask the police to help us in tackling the situation. As many as 18 factories belonging to this region have violated the PF law,” Sharma said.

However, tough action has forced many owners to pay up. “

In just one week, we have recovered Rs 1 crore in the three districts — Solapur, Latur and Osmanabad,” Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner Abhay Kumar Mandal said.

One of the sugar units is owned by BJP MP Subhash Deshmukh. He had taken possession of three sugar factories on rental basis just a few months before the Provident Fund struck and seized the godowns. “Its unfair. The PF department has no right to seize the goods that we have produced after commencing the rental agreement with these sugar factories,” Deshmukh said.

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