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.
(1) 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.
(2) An application for registration shall be made in such form, as may be prescribed, to
the officer authorised by the Board in this behalf.
(3) Every application under sub- section (2) shall be accompanied by such documents
together with such fee not exceeding fifty rupees as may be prescribed.
(4) 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.
(5) 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 the 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.
(6) The Secretary of the Board shall cause to maintain such registers as may be
prescribed.
13. Identity cards.
(1) 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.
(2) 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
the beneficiary.
(3) 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.
(1) 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.
(2) 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 the period of three years as a beneficiary with a Board under this subsection, 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 buildings workers.
(1) 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.
(2) A beneficiary may authorise his employer to deduct his contribution from his
monthly wages and to remit the same, within fifteen days from such deduction, to the
Board.
17. Effect of nonpayment 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 nonpayment 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.