No: 39 Dated: Feb, 17 1984

THE WEST BENGAL NON-GOVERNMENT EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES (CONTROL OF PROVIDENT FUND OF EMPLOYEES) ACT, 1983

West Bengal Act XXXIX of 1983

    An Act to provide for deposit of balance on account of provident fund of employees of non-Government educational institutions and local authorities in West Bengal in Treasury and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

    Whereas it is expedient to provide for deposit of balance on account of provident fund of employees of non-Government educational institutions and local authorities in West Bengal in Treasury, for adequate measures to control management of such fund and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto;

    It is hereby enacted as follows: -

1. Short title, extent, commencement and application. - (1) This Act may be called the West Bengal Non-Government Educational Institutions and Local Authorities (Control of Provident Fund of Employees) Act, 1983.

(2) It extends to the whole of West Bengal.

(3) It shall come into force on such date as the State Government may, by notification, appoint; and different dates may be appointed for different non-Government educational institutions or local authorities.

(4) It shall apply to all non-Government educational institutions and local authorities except the educational institutions administered by religious or linguistic minorities or under any trust or not in receipt of any financial assistance from the State Government:

Provided that the State Government may, if it considers fit, exempt any non-Government educational institution or local authority from the operation of this Act for such period as it may think necessary:

Provided further that any non-Government educational institution administered by religious or linguistic minorities or under any trust or not in receipt of any financial assistance from the State Government and exempted from the operation of this Act may apply to the State Government for being governed by the provisions of this Act and on consideration of such application the State Government may extend by notification the provisions of this Act to such institution.

2. Definitions. - In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context,-

(1) "appointed day" means the day appointed under sub-section (3) of section 3;

(2) "college" means a college affiliated to a University;

(3) "employee" means,-

(a) in relation to a non-Government educational institution, any person employed by such institution on whole-time basis, and includes a teacher or a member of non-teaching staff, and

(b) in relation to a local authority, any person employed by such local authority on whole-time basis;

(4) "Librarian" means a Librarian, Deputy Librarian, Assistant Librarian or any other person discharging the functions of a Librarian on whole time basis, by whatever name called, appointed by a non-Government educational institution;

(5) "local authority" means a Municipal Corporation, Municipality, or Town Committee, but does not include a notified area authority or a Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti or Zilla Parishad;

(6) "non-Government educational institution" means an educational institution not maintained or managed by the State Government, and includes-

(i) a University,

(ii) a non-Government college, Higher Secondary School recognised as such under the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education Act, 1975, Secondary school recognised as such under the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education Act, 1963, primary school managed by a District School Board constituted, or recognised as a primary school, under the Bengal (Rural) Primary Education Act, 1930, or recognised or deemed to be recognised as a primary school under the West Bengal Primary Education Act, 1973, or

(iii) any other institution, by whatever name called, affiliated to a University or recognised under any enactment for the time being in force, in which instruction is provided for courses of study in Arts, Science, Commerce or Teachers’ Training or in which instruction is given in primary education as defined in clause (14) of section 2 of the Bengal (Rural) Primary Education Act, 1930 or clause (xvii) of section 2 of the West Bengal Primary Education Act, 1973;

(7) "non-teaching staff" means the non-teaching staff, not holding any teaching post, appointed by a non-Government educational institution on whole-time basis, and includes a Librarian;

(8) "notification" means a notification published in the Official Gazette;

(9) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act;

(10) "teacher" means a Professor, Reader, Principal, Lecturer, Demonstrator, Tutor or any other person holding a teaching post, by whatever name called, appointed by a non-Government educational institution on whole-time basis;

(11) "Treasury" means a Treasury of the State Government, and includes a Sub-Treasury;

(12) "University" means the University constituted under-

(i) the Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya Act, 1974, or

(ii) the Calcutta University Act, 1979, or

(iii) the Vidyasagar University Act, 1981, or

(iv) the Burdwan University Act, 1981, or

(v) the Jadavpur University Act, 1981, or

(vi) the North Bengal University Act, 1981, or

(vii) the Rabindra Bharati Act, 1981, or

(viii) the Kalyani University Act, 1981.

3. All standing balances in provident fund to be transferred to Treasury. - (1) All balances in the provident fund on the appointed day held in cash or in time deposits, Government securities, savings certificates, bank accounts, postal savings accounts, debentures or in any other form of financial instrument shall be transferred to the State Government in such manner as may be prescribed:

Provided that the portion or portions of the provident fund invested in time deposits, debentures, Government securities, savings certificates or in any other form of financial instrument shall be endorsed to the State Government or to any agent appointed by the State Government in this behalf in such manner as may be prescribed.

(2) On and from the appointed day no non-Government educational institution or local authority shall deposit any portion of the balance of provident fund or accruals thereto in any postal savings account, bank account or any other agency except the Treasury.

(3) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any other law for the time being in force, any sum received by a non-Government educational institution or a local authority on account of provident fund of its employees by way of monthly subscription to the provident fund, repayment of advance from the provident fund taken by any such employee or interest on balances in the provident fund shall, with effect from such date as the State Government may by notification appoint, be deposited in a Treasury in such manner as may be prescribed.

(4) While transferring the provident fund balances to the State Government under sub-section (1) a non-Government educational institution or local authority, as the case may be, shall furnish to the State Government a statement showing the total amount standing at the credit of each employee subscribing to the respective provident fund indicating therein the employee’s portion and the employer’s portion of contributions, the amount of withdrawal outstanding against each employee and such other particulars as may be prescribed.