Registration of building workers as beneficiaries

(11) Beneficiaries of the Fund -

Subject to the provisions of this Act, every building worker registered as a beneficiary under this Act shall be entitled to the benefits provided by the Board from its Fund under this Act.

(12) Registration of building workers as beneficiaries -

• Every building worker who has completed eighteen years of age, but has not completed sixty years of age, and who has been engaged in any building or other construction work for not less than ninety days during the preceding twelve months shall be eligible for registration as a beneficiary under this Act.
• An application for registration shall be made in such form, as may be prescribed, to the officer authorised by the Board in this behalf.
• Every application under sub-section (2) shall be accompanied by such documents together With such fee not exceeding fifty rupees as may be prescribed.
• If the officer authorised by the Board under sub-section (2) is satisfied that the applicant has complied with the provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder, he shall register the name of the building worker as a beneficiary under this Act:
  Provided that an application for registration shall not be rejected without giving the applicant an opportunity of being heard.
• Any person aggrieved by the decision under sub-section (4) may, within thirty days from the date of such decision, prefer an appeal to the Secretary of the Board or any other officer specified by the Board in this behalf and the decision of tile Secretary or such other officer on such appeal shall be final;
  Provided that the Secretary or any other officer specified by the Board in this behalf may entertain the appeal after the expiry of the said period of thirty days if he is satisfied that the building worker was prevented by sufficient cause from filing the appeal in time.
• The Secretary of the Board shall cause to maintain such registers as may be prescribed.

Comments -
Every building worker who is between the age of eighteen and sixty and who has been engaged in any building or other construction work for not less than ninety days during the last 12 months is eligible for registration as a beneficiary of the Building and Other Construction Workers' Welfare Fund. Application for registration is to be made in the prescribed form and is to be accompanied with prescribed documents and a fee of not more than fitly rupees.

(13) Identity cards -

• The Board shall give to every beneficiary an identity card with his photograph duly affixed thereon and with enough space for entering the details of the building or other construction work done by him.
• Every employer shall enter in the identity card the details of the building or other construction work done by the beneficiary and authenticate the same and return it to tile beneficiary.
• A beneficiary who has been issued an identity card under this Act shall produce the same whenever demanded by any officer of Government or the Board, any inspector or any other authority for inspection.

(14) Cessation as a beneficiary -

• A building worker who has been registered as a beneficiary under this Act shall cease to be as such when he attains the age of sixty years or when he is not engaged in building or other construction work for not less than ninety days in a year;
  Provided that in computing the period of ninety days under this sub-section, there shall be excluded any period of absence from the building or other construction work due to any personal injury caused to the building worker by accident arising out of and in the course of his employment.
• Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), if a person had been a beneficiary for at least three years continuously immediately before attaining the age of sixty years, he shall be eligible to get such benefits as may be prescribed.

Explanation - For computing tile period of three years as a beneficiary with a Board under this sub-section, there shall be added any period for which a person had been a beneficiary with any other Board immediately before his registration.

(15)Register of beneficiaries -

Every employer shall maintain a register in such form as may be prescribed showing the details of employment of beneficiaries employed in the building or other construction work undertaken by him and the same may be inspected without any prior notice by the Secretary of the Board or any other officer duly authorised by the Board in this behalf.

(16) Contribution of building workers -

• A building worker who has been registered as a beneficiary under this Act shall, until he attains the age of sixty years, contribute to the Fund at such rate per mensem, as may be specified by the State Government, by notification in the Official Gazette and different rates of contribution may be specified for different classes of building workers;
  Provided that the Board may, if satisfied that a beneficiary is unable to pay his contribution due to any financial hardship, waive the payment of contribution for a period not exceeding three months at a time.
• A beneficiary may authorise his employer to deduct his contribution from his monthly wages and to remit the same, within fifteen days front such deduction, to the Board.<

Comments -
A registered beneficiary, until he attains the age of sixty years, has to contribute to the Fund at the rates specified by the State Government. If any beneficiary is unable to pay his contribution due to any financial hardship, the Building and Other Construction Workers' Welfare Board can waive the payment of contribution for a period not exceeding three months at a time.

(17) Effect of non-payment of contribution -

When a beneficiary has not paid his contribution under sub-section (1) of section 16 for a continuous period of not less than one year, he shall cease to be a beneficiary;
Provided that if the Secretary of the Board is satisfied that the non-payment of contribution was for a reasonable ground and that the building worker is willing to deposit the arrears, he may allow the building worker to deposit the contribution in arrears and on such deposit being made, the registration of building worker shall stand restored.

Comments -

If any beneficiary fails to pay his contribution for a continuous period of not less than one year, he ceases to be a beneficiary of the Fund. But if the failure to pay the contribution was for a reasonable ground and the building worker is willing to deposit the arrears, his registration may be restored.