In addition to outstanding dues, employees’ and workmen contributions to their provident fund accounts were allegedly not deposited with authorities.
Once one of India’s largest shipbuilding companies, ABG Shipyard is touted to have carried out the country’s largest bank scam, more than Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi combined. On February 12, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered an FIR against the company and its former chairman and managing director Rishi Kamlesh Agarwal along with others for allegedly cheating a consortium of banks led by State Bank of India of over Rs 22,842 crore. While there is speculation about whose fault it was, which government is to blamed, how so much credit was given out to the company and how much of the amount was actually syphoned off and more, staff and workers of the company have not received their dues for three years of work, even with the company going into liquidation.
Sunil Kumar Jain, 63, was working at ABG Shipyard’s plant in Dahej, Gujarat from 2008 — and was hoping to retire from the company with his provident fund (PF) and gratuity amounts that he would receive. Instead, he is now the main petitioner on behalf of 467 staff members in demanding their dues from the company. Employees have filed applications with the National Company Law Tribunal, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal, and the Supreme Court.
“We haven’t been paid in five years (for the period 2016-2019). Employees are…