Question : PAYMENT OF ARREARS TO THE LABOURERS OF BCCL

(a). the total amount paid as arrears to the labourers of the Bharat Coking Coal Limited from July, 1996 to December, 2000;

(b). whether wrong database led to overpayment;

(c). if so, the details of overpayments made;

(d). whether payment of arrears was made on the basis of wage audit report of different agencies;

(e). if so, the names of the agencies on the basis of whose opinion or report payment of arrears was made;

(f). whether any action has been taken against those agencies; and

(g). if so, the details thereof?

THE MINISTER OF COAL (SHRI KARIYA MUNDA)

(a): Total amount involved as arrear wages to the Labourers in BCCL was Rs. 528.27 crores for the period July, 1996 to December, 2000.

(b) & (c): Excess payment was made to a few employees only on account of their overtime. While preparing the arrear wages bill, the maximum ceiling of overtime was not taken into consideration by oversight.

Excess payment was made in respect of 2578 employees out of total of 1,53,555 employees, amounting to Rs. 99.43 lakhs out of the total arrear payment of Rs. 528.27 crores. The excess amount paid has been / is being recovered from their salary bills.

(d) & (e): Yes, Sir, Payment was made after pre-audit. List of firms who were engaged for audit of arrear wages is given below:-

i). M/S. DN Dokania	ii). M/S. PS Keshari &
Associates,	Co. Chartered
Chartered Accountants,	Accountants, Dhanbad.
Dhanbad.
iii). M/S. Singh	iv). M/S. George Read
Mukherjee & Associates,	& Co. Chartered
Chartered Accountants,	Accountants, Kolkata.
Ranchi.
v). M/S. PK	vi). M/S. S.
Banerjee & Co. cost	Banerjee & Co. cost
Accountants, Dhanbad.	Accountants, Dhanbad.
vii). M/S. US Prasad	viii). M/S. Konar
& Co. Chartered	Mustaphi & Associates,
Accountants, Patna.	Chartered Accountants,	Patna.
xi). M/S. S.N. Das,&	x). M/S. Karmakar
Co. Cost Accountants,	Shamanta & Associates,
Dhanbad.	Cost Accountants,	Sitarampur.
xi). M/S. Ghoshal &	xii). M/S. M.P. Sinha
Ghoshal, Chartered	& Co. Cost Accountants,
Accountants, Kolkata.	Dhanbad.
xiii). M/S. Das	xiv). M/S. Shyamadas
Bairgya & Associates,	Bandhopadhyay &
Cost Accountants,	Associates, Chartered
Kolkata.	Accountants, Dhanbad.