Amendment status not verified — confirm the current text below against the official source.
(1) The Government may, by notification in the Gazette, frame a scheme to be called the Kerala Coir Workers Welfare Fund Scheme for the establishment of a fund under this Act for the welfare of the coir workers and self employed persons in the coir industry and there shall be established, as soon as may be after the framing of the scheme, a fund in accordance with the provisions of this Act and the scheme. (2) There shall be credited to the fund,-- (a) the contributions specified in section 4; (b) the amount borrowed by the Board under section 10; (c) damages realised under section 19; (d) grants or loans or advances made by the Government of India or the State Government or the Coir Board or any institutions; (e) any donations from whatever source; (f) any amount raised by the Board from other sources to augment the resources of the Board; (g) fee levied under the scheme; (h) any other amount which, under the provisions of the scheme, shall be credited to the fund. (3) The fund shall vest in, and be administered by the Board constituted under section 6; (4) The fund may be utilised for all or any of the following purposes, namely,-- (a) for payment of pension.-- ["(i) to a member who has completed the age of sixty years and had valid membership in the Fund for a minimum period of five years: Provided that the minimum period of five years membership in the Fund shall not be insisted.-- (a) to a member who become disabled to do any normal work in connection with the various process in coir industry or (b) to a member who subscribed to the Fund with effect from the 18th day of January, 1989 and attained the age of sixty years before the 17th day of January 1994: Provided further that a member who has valid member ship for a minimum period of thirty years in the fund and who retires voluntarily, shall also be eligible for pension even if he has not attained the age of sixty years."] (ii) to a person who before the [30th day of September 1989] was a coir worker or a self employed person and completed the age of sixty years or who suffers from permanent disablement and is of out of employment; [(iii) to a person who, before the 30th day of September, 1989 was a coir worker or self employed person and who has not become a member of the Fund and has completed the age of sixty years before the 30th day of September, 1997, if he pays to the Fund and amount equivalent to the contribution payable by him, had he been a member for the period from the 1st day of October, 1989 to the date of completion of sixty years, within a period of nine months from the 30th day of September, 1997.] [(b) for payment of family pension to the spouse of deceased member or if the deceased member was a widow or a widower to the minor children;] [(ba) for payment of any other retirement benefit;] (c) for payment of financial assistance to a member who suffers from permanent or temporary disablement; (d) for payment of loans or grants to a member to meet the day to day expenses during off season or to meet expenses for the ["marriage of daughters"] or for expenses in connection with disease or death of dependents or for expenses in connection with the education of children or for expenses for construction or maintenance of houses; [(da) for payment of loans or grants to a female member, to meet the expenses in connection with her own marriage; (db) for payment of financial assistance to the dependents of a deceased member to meet the expenses in connection with the death of that member;] (e) to provide maternity benefits to women workers engaged in coir industry who are not eligible for such benefits under any other law for the time being in force; (f) to provide for distress relief to the family of a members affected by natural calamities and epidemics; (g) to provide for the coir workers, self-employed person and members of their families,-- (i) medical facilities; (ii) nurseries and creches; (iii) education, vocational training and facilities for part time employment; (h) for implementation of any other purpose specified in the scheme. [Provided that a member shall be eligible for financial assistance under clauses (c), (d), (e), (f), (g) and (h) of sub-section (4), only if he has subscribed to the fund for a continuous period of two years: Provided further that two years period of membership shall not be insisted in the case of permanent disablement or accident or death of a member who was not a defaulter of the fund".] (5) Subject to the provisions of this Act, the scheme framed under sub-section (1) may provide for all or any of the matters specified in sub-section (4) and in the schedule. (6) The scheme shall be laid, as soon as may be, after it is framed, before the Legislative Assembly while it is in session for a total period of fourteen days which may be comprised in one session or in two successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session in which it is so laid or the session immediately following, the Legislative Assembly makes any modification in the scheme, the scheme shall thereafter have effect only in such modified form; so however that, any such modification shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under the scheme. Substituted by Act 9 of 1998 Substituted by Act 9 of 1998 Inserted by Act 9 of 1998 Substituted by Act 9 of 1998 Inserted by Act 9 of 1998 Substituted by Act 9 of 1998 Inserted by Act 9 of 1998 Inserted by Act 9 of 1998