Assam Handicraft Artisans Welfare Fund Act, 1998
No: 7 Dated: Jan, 21 1999
THE ASSAM HANDICRAFT ARTISANS WELFARE FUND ACT, 1998
ASSAM ACT NO. VII OF 1999
An Act to provide for the constitution of Fund to grant relief to, to promote the welfare of, and to pay pension to Handicraft Artisans in the State of Assam and for other matters connected thereto.
Preamble. - Whereas it is expedient to provide for the constitution of Fund to grant relief to, to promote the Welfare of, and to pay pension to Handicraft Artisans in the State of Assam and for certain other matters connected thereto:-
It is hereby enacted in the Forty-ninth Year of the Republic of India as follows:
1. Short title, extent and commencement. - (1) This Act may be called the Assam Handicraft Artisans Welfare Fund Act, 1998.
(2) It extends to the whole of Assam.
(3) It shall come into force on such date as the Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint, and different dates may be appointed for different provisions of this Act.
2. Definitions. - In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-
(a) "Board" means the Assam Handicraft Artisans Welfare Fund Board constituted under Section 6 ;
(b) "Chief Executive Officer" means the Chief Executive Officer appointed under sub-section (1) of section 9 ;
(c) "Handicraft products" means,-
(i) cane products,
(ii) bamboo artistic products,
(iii) wood curving/Decorative Furniture,
(vi) drift crafts (Craft made of the Tree rods and branches),
(v) brass Metal,
(vi) gold smith/Silver smith,
(vii) terracotta/Earthen ware,
(viii) pith craft,
(ix) decorative Textile (Loem loom/shuttle loom),
(x) doll and toy making,
(xi) jute crafts,
(xii) stone curving,
(xiii) sital pati,
(xiv) paper crafts,
(xv) bhawna dress (dress used for Theatre),
(xvi) bead crafts,
(xvii) paper machine
(xviii) embroidery,
(xix) mask making,
(xx) mirijum,
(xxi) carpet making,
(xxii) laisenghee,
(xxiii) grass/leaf work,
(xxiv) decorate item made of plaster of paris/cements,
(xxv) decorative item made of any other media;
(d) "Handicraft Artisans" means any person who has engaged himself for production of Handicrafts items or any person who is employed for wages to produce the Handicraft products and includes any person employed by any non-Government organisation, co-operative society or through other agent and depends mainly on Handicraft Industries for his livelihood and whom the Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, from time to time declare to be Handicraft Artisan for the purposes of this Act.
Explanation. - If any question arises as to whether a person is or is not a Handicraft Artisans for the purposes of this Act, the matter shall be referred to the Advisory Committee constituted by the Government.
(e) "Government" means Government of Assam;
(f) "Director of Industries" means Director of Industries for the State of Assam;
(g) "Contribution" means the sum of money payable to the Fund under section 4;
(h) "dealer" means any person who is engaged in the business of purchase, sale or storage for sale of any Handicraft products, but does not include a Handicraft Artisan who sells or stores for sale, the Handicrafts by himself;
(i) 'family" means the husband, wife and their children;
(j) "Fund" means the Handicraft Artisans Welfare Fund, established under section 3 ;
(k) "Artisans" means a person who engaged himself to any of the Handicraft products;
(l) "member" means a member of the Fund;
(m) "person" includes a company, a firm, an association of individual, Non-Governmental Organisations or a Co-operative Society, registered or deemed to be registered under the Assam Co-operative Societies Act, 1949;
(n) "employer" means any person who directly employes whether on behalf of himself or for any other person one or more Handicrafts Artisans to produce any Handicraft product;
(o) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
(p) "Producer of Handicraft Products" means a person who carries on the business of producing Handicraft products for export or for internal marketing;
(q) "Schedule" means the schedule to this Act;
(r) "Scheme" means a scheme framed under this Act;
(s) "Year" means the financial year;
(t) "board" means the Handicraft Artisans Welfare Fund Board constituted under section 6.