Mumbai Port Authority

BOMBAY PORT TRUST

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Administrative Offices,

Shoorji Vallabhdas Marg,

No.CA/WF(SR)-1/14390 Bombay, 30th April 1976.

To

The Secretary The Railway Manager

Chief Accountant Deputy

Chief Engineer Controller of Stores

Chief Mechanical Engineer Chief Medical Officer

Docks Manager Chief Labour Officer

Estate Manager Legal Adviser

BOMBAY PORT TRUST EMPLOYEES

(Welfare Fund) REGULATIONS, 1975.

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The Government have, by the Ministry of Shipping and Transport (Transport Wing) letter No.PEB(72)/75 dated the 3rd March 1976, conveyed their sanction, under section 124(1) of the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963, to the Bombay Port Trust Employees (Welfare Fund) Regulations, 1975, as approved by TR No.506 of 9th September 1975, subject to the modification in the maximum amount that may be held in the Fund to Rs.10 lakhs, instead of Rs.15 lakhs, as approved by that TR. The Government’s sanction having been published in the Official Gazette of 19.3.1976, the regulations as modified by Government have come into force on and from that date.

2. Regulation 6 confers powers on

(i) the Chief Accountant –

(a) to authorise the payment of claims for unclaimed wages and salaries preferred after such wages and salaries are transferred to the Fund; and

(b) to incur expenditure on the ex gratia monthly maintenance grant to employees suffering from T.B., Cancer, etc., in accordance with the scheme framed in that behalf by the Board and on the payment of such grant to physically handicapped employees on the same terms and conditions;

(ii) the Chairman, to sanction expenditure from the Fund in all other cases.

Regulation 6 also provides that in cases not covered by (i) above, disbursement shall be made only with the Chairman’s sanction in each case. Regulation 6 also provides that the Chairman may, however, delegate his powers to sanction expenditure from the Fund in respect of any item [other than the items covered by clauses (a) and (m)] specified in regulation 5 to the Dy. Chairman or a Head of Department, subject to such conditions and restrictions as he may impose from time to time.

3.1 Accordingly, under the powers conferred on him by regulation 6, the Chairman has delegated powers to the Dy. Chairman, Chief Accountant and Chief Labour Officer as explained in paras 3.2 to 3.8 below:

3.2 Reimbursement of medical expenses

3.3 Miscellaneous welfare activities

3.4 Grants and other forms of monetary assistance

3.5 Subsidy to co-operative canteens :

The present practice is to obtain whenever a co-operative canteen of employees is formed, the Board’s sanction to meet out of the Welfare Fund, 50% of the wages on staff, the wage rates to be paid to such staff being fixed with the Chairman’s prior approval, the cost of one-time expenditure on items like furniture, equipment, first supply of uniforms to canteen staff, etc. In the case of the third shift canteen in the hospital, the cost of wages of the staff is met in full. Sanction exists to expenditure being incurred by the Chief Accountant on this scale on the existing canteens. The Chairman has decided that this arrangement may also be continued.

In future, whenever canteens of employees are formed or any additional assistance or facility is sought by the existing canteens, the Chief Labour Officer should seek the Chairman’s sanction in each case through the Chief Accountant.

3.6 Workers’ Education Scheme :

By TR No.653 of 1970, sanction was accorded to tea and snacks, costing 30 paise per employee per day, being provided to the employees attending the unit level classes. Accordingly, the Chief Labour Officer at present incurs the expenditure and gets it reimbursed from the Chief Accountant. The Chairman has reviewed the matter and has delegated the powers to prescribe the scale and conditions of expenditure in this regard to the Dy. Chairman

At present the cost of educational tours undertaken by the Worker Teacher trainees participating in the Workers’ Education Scheme is authorised by the Chief Accountant on the scale laid down in TR No.754 of 1969. The Chairman has approved of the Chief Accountant admitting the claims for travelling allowance of employees on the scale laid down in that TR from out of the Welfare Fund.

3.7 Scholarships :

Sanction exists at present to 24 merit scholarships of Rs.40 each being awarded every year for the duration of the full course to the children of employees doing post-matriculation courses. The scholarship list is finalised by a committee consisting of the Manager (SOM), Docks Manager, Chief Welfare Officer, Estate Manager, Asstt. Accountant (E) and Shri G.H. Kale. The list is approved by the Chairman. The Chairman has decided that the present arrangement, including the number and amount of scholarships, may be continued unchanged.

3.8 Scheme for grant of cash prizes to children of employees securing first class marks in the school and university examinations.

The Chairman has decided that the prize amount should continue at the same rate as at present. The Chairman’s sanction should be obtained to any change in this rate and for any expenditure proposed to be incurred in connection with the functions to award the prizes.

4. Expenditure on all other items, than those listed in paras 3.2 to 3.8, should not be incurred without obtaining the Chairman’s specific sanction in each case. The sanction should be obtained as hitherto through the Chief Accountant.

5. Regulation 3(b) provides for salaries, wages and other payments due to employees, other than the employees employed in a "factory", as defined in section 2(m) of the Factories Act, 1948, remaining unclaimed for three years from the date they became due, whether before or after the commencement of these regulations, to be credited to the Fund. The Chief Accountant is requested kindly to take necessary action, keeping in view the provisions of regulation 8 ibid.

6. Regulation 3(f) provides for interest and profit on investments belonging to the Fund to be credited to the Fund. The Chief Accountant is requested to note the requirement for necessary action.

Sd/-
(J.J. PARAKH)
MANAGER (SERVICES AND O&M)

Enc : Nil.