Kanpur: A fresh controversy has erupted over the prolonged delay in the settlement of Provident Fund dues for employees of Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the publishing house behind former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s newspapers Navjivan, National Herald, and Qaumi Awaaz—which reportedly owes crores of rupees in pending contributions. Labour leaders are now accusing political interference of derailing efforts to secure justice for hundreds of affected workers.
In a letter addressed to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), senior labour leader Rakesh Mani Pandey has urged immediate intervention, asking grimly, “How many more Herald employees have to die waiting for their dues?”
Pandey, who serves as the National Secretary and State General Secretary of the Hind Mazdoor Kisan Panchayat, has alleged that the recent transfers of two key Regional Provident Fund Commissioners—Naveen Kumar Kannaujiya and Maruti Nandan Tripathi—were politically motivated and orchestrated to benefit AJL’s top management.
Both officers had reportedly made significant progress in securing long-pending PF payments for AJL employees, raising hopes among workers for the first time in decades.
Sources within the Provident Fund office claim that a powerful Congress-affiliated MLC—allegedly influential even within the current Central government—facilitated the abrupt transfer of the two commissioners. Employees believe this move disrupted the momentum of their 27-year-long struggle and played into the hands of AJL’s ownership, shielding them from accountability.
According to Pandey, more than 60 employees have died while waiting for their dues, and over 100 others are gravely ill or facing severe financial hardship due to the prolonged non-payment. He claims the company still owes more than Rs 14.87 crore in outstanding dues to 346 employees from its defunct Lucknow and Delhi offices, with Provident Fund contributions between 1993 and 2005 alone exceeding Rs 8 crore.
In his letter to the ED Director, Pandey requested that employee liabilities be settled before any further asset seizures or legal proceedings. He expressed concern that the ED’s recent property seizures—linked to money laundering investigations involving Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi—could inadvertently give AJL’s management a legal excuse to evade their financial responsibilities toward employees.
While affirming that the ED’s actions may be legally justified, Pandey cautioned that they could further complicate the recovery process for workers. “If these assets are locked in litigation or seized, how will employees recover their rightful money?” he questioned.
He also noted that copies of his letter had been sent to the Prime Minister, Finance Minister, Chief Provident Fund Commissioner in New Delhi, and AJL Director Pawan Kumar Bansal. Pandey warned that the Hind Mazdoor Kisan Panchayat would intensify its agitation until every rupee owed to Herald workers is paid.
“The fight for justice will not end here,” Pandey declared, vowing to expose what he described as the “anti-worker and self-serving face” of the employers, who, he alleged, continue to exploit political clout to delay and deny justice to their long-suffering employees.
