Amendment status not verified — confirm the current text below against the official source.
Fishermmz’s Welfare Fund Scheme.——(1) The Government may, by notification in the Gazette, frame a scheme to be called the Kerala Fishermen’s Welfare Fund Scheme for the establishment of a, fund under this Act by name “the Kerala Fishermen’s Welfare Fund” for the welfare of fishermen and there shall be established, as soon as may be after the framing of the scheme, the flmd in accordance with the provision of this Act and scheme. (2) There shall be credited to the fund,— (a) the contributions specified in section 4; (b) fee levied under the scheme: (0) damages realised under section 21, (d) grants or loans or advances made by the Government of India or the State Government, (5) any voluntary donations: (f) any penalty levied under the provisions of the Kern]: Marine Fishing Regulation Act, 1980 (10 of 1981): (g) any amount raised by the Board from other sourcea to augment the resources of the Board. (3) The fund shall vest in and be administered by the Board. (4) The fund may be utilised for all or any of the following purposes, namely-— (a) to provide for distress relief to fishermen in times of natural calamities; 197 (b) [or payment of financial assistance to fishermen who suffer permanent or temporary disablement; (c) for payment of loans or grants to fishermen to meet the expenses for the marriage of children, or expenses in connection with disease or death of dependants, or any unexpected expenditure or the day to day expenditure during lean months; (d) to prov1de for the fishermen and the members of their families,— (1) education, vocational training and part~time employment; (ii) social education centres including reading rooms and libraries; (iii) sports, games and medical fac11i1.ies; (iv) nutritious food for children, and (v) employment opportunities to the handicapped; (e) for payment of financial assistance to fishermen who suffer loss of houses or fishing implements or any other damage due to natural calamities or other unexpected causes; (1?) to provide old age assistance to fishermen; (g) for the implementation of any other purpose specified in the scheme. (5) Every fisherman who is a member of a Fishermen’s Welfare Society constituted under section 4 of the Kerala Fishermen Welfare Societies Act, 1980 (7 of 1981), shall be a member of the fund. (6) 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. 4 Contribution to the Fund—(1) A fisherman shall contribute to the fund three per cent of the value of fish caught by him during a year or three per cent of the wages earned by him in a year: Provided that the contribution by a fisherman for a period of three years from the commencement of the Act shall be at the rate of Rs. 30 per year. (2) A dealer shall contribute every year to the fund one per cent of his sale nroceeds in the year: 198 Provided that the Board shall fix, upon such principles as may be specified in the scheme, the amount which a dealer shall contribute every year to the fund, for a period of three years from the commencement of this Act: Provided further that the amount fixed under the preceding proviso shall not exceed one per cent of the sale proceeds of the dealer. (3) The owner of a fishing vessel shall contribute to the fund every year an amount calculated at the followmg rates, namely:— (a) traditional craft,— (i) catamaran (nonmotorised) catamaran (motorised) (i1) country craft upto 9 metre size (non-motorised) country craft upto 9 metre size (motorised) (iii) country craft above 9 metre size (non-motorised) country craft above 9 metre size (motorised) (b) Mechanised boat,— (i) below 15 CRT — RE. 1 per monih per catamaran for nine months; — Rs. 2 per month per catamaran for nine months; — Rs 3 per month per country craft for nine months; — Rs. 5 per month per country craft for nine months; — Rs. 5 per month per country craft for nine months; — Rs. 7 per month per country craft for mne months: — Rs. 100 per month per boat for nine months; (ii) of 15 CRT and above —- Rs. 200 per month per boat but below 25 CRT for nine months; tin) of 25 GRT and above — Rs. 400 per month per boat upto 35 CRT (iv) above 35 CRT for nine months; —— Rs. 1000 per month per boat for nine months: (4) The owner of a, fishing net shall contribute to the fund one rupee per net per month for nine months every year. 199 Explanatzon.——For the purposes of this sub-section, “fishing net” means a china net or a stakenet or a. free net used tor catching fish. (5) The owner of a prawn filtration area or a fish farm shall contribute every year to the fund two per cent of the value of the prawn and other fish caught from the prawn filtration area or the fish farm during the year: Provided that the Board shall fix upon such prinmples as may be specified in the scheme, the amount which the owner of a prawn filtration area shall contribute every year to the fund tor a period of three years from the commencement of the Act: Provided further that the amount fixed under the pi eceding proviso shall not exceed two per cent of the value of the prawn and other fish caught during a year: Provided also that no contribution shall be payable by the owner of a fish farm for the first three years from the formation of the fish farm. Explanation—For the purposes of this sub-section, “prawn filtration area” means any water-logged area where prawn filtration is carried on during the whole or any part of the year, but does not include any area where paddy is cultivated at any time during a year. (6) A person who employs a fisherman in a. fishing vessel shall be liable to pay under sub-section (7) the contribution payable by that fisherman under sub-section (1) after deducting that amount from the wages or other remuneration due to such fisherman. (7) The contributions shall be paid to the Fisheries Officer or to any officer of the Board authorised by the Board In this behalf. (8) The amount of contribution shall be rounded off to the nearest rupee and, where such amount contains part of a rupee consisting of paise, then, if such part is fifty paise or more, it shall be increased to one rupee and if such part is less than fifty paise, it shall be ignored.