**Summary:**
This document summarizes the Ministry of Heavy Industries' response to Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1516, answered on August 1, 2025, regarding the non-deposition of Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) contributions in several tea gardens of the Andrew Yule Group. The response confirms that EPF contributions have been delayed since September 2023 for employees of the Karbala, New Dooars, Banarhat, and Choonabhutti tea gardens. Andrew Yule Company Limited (AYCL) attributes these delays to financial losses within its Tea Division, stemming from pest infestations (looper caterpillars and fungal fusarium), adverse climatic conditions including erratic rainfall, and low sales realizations. As of June 2025, the outstanding EPF contributions for these gardens are as follows: Karbala (₹2.94 Crores out of ₹5.44 Crores total contribution), New Dooars (₹2.81 Crores out of ₹5.21 Crores), Banarhat (₹2.29 Crores out of ₹4.21 Crores), and Choonabhutti (₹1.77 Crores out of ₹3.56 Crores). The Minister of State for Heavy Industries, Shri Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma, provided this information.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Heavy Industries: A ministry within the Government of India responsible for heavy industries.
Rajya Sabha: The upper house of the Parliament of India.
SHRI RITABRATA BANERJEE: Member of Rajya Sabha who raised the unstarred question No. 1516.
Employees Provident Fund: A social security scheme providing financial security to employees during retirement.
Andrew Yule group: A company with tea gardens where EPF contributions were not deposited.
Karbala, West Bengal: One of the tea gardens of Andrew Yule group where EPF contributions were not deposited. Located in West Bengal, India.
New Dooars, West Bengal: One of the tea gardens of Andrew Yule group where EPF contributions were not deposited. Located in West Bengal, India.
Banarhat, West Bengal: One of the tea gardens of Andrew Yule group where EPF contributions were not deposited. Located in West Bengal, India.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF HEAVY INDUSTRIES
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1516
ANSWERED ON 01.08.2025
NON-DEPOSITION OF EPF CONTRIBUTIONS IN TEA GARDENS OF ANDREW
YULE GROUP
1516. SHRI RITABRATA BANERJEE:
Will the Minister of HEAVY INDUSTRIES be pleased to state:
(a) whether it is a fact that the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) contributions are not being
deposited in Karbala, New Dooars, Banarhat and Choonabhutti tea gardens of Andrew Yule
group since September 2023; and
(b) if so, the details thereof, and if not, the reasons therefor?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR HEAVY INDUSTRIES
(SHRI BHUPATHIRAJU SRINIVASA VARMA)
(a) & (b): Andrew Yule & Company Limited (AYCL) has incurred loss in Tea Division
and has been passing though acute financial crisis since 2023 due to Pest (looper caterpillars)
and Fungal (fusarium) attack on Tea plantation, Adverse climatic conditions, Erratic rain falls,
Low sale realization, etc. Hence, there has been delay in deposition of Employees Provident
Fund (EPF) contributions for employees of Karbala, New Dooars, Banarhat and Choonabhutti
tea gardens of Andrew Yule group.
The detail of outstanding PF dues of these tea gardens for the period September, 2023
to June 2025 is as follows:
(Rs. in Crores)
Garden Total EPF contribution Outstanding EPF contribution
Karballa 5.44 2.94
New Dooars 5.21 2.81
Banarhat 4.21 2.29
Choonabhutti 3.56 1.77
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