The Welfare Fund Committee may, for the Welfare of the members of the Fund,-
(a) obtain from the Life Insurance Corporation of India, Policies of Group Insurance for the members of the Fund;
(b) provide for a policy of Provident Fund for the members of the Fund;
(c) provide for medical facilities for the member of the Fund and their spouses; and
(d) provide for such other benefits as may be prescribed.
1[17-A. Restriction on alienation, attachment etc; of interest of member in Fund - (1) The interest of any member in the fund, or the right of a member or his or her nominee or dependents to receive any amount from funds, shall not be assigned, alienated or charged and shall not be liable to attachment under any decree or order of any Court, Tribunal, Financial Institutions or other authority.
(2) No creditor shall be entitled to proceed against the fund or the interest therein of any member or his or her nominee or dependents.]
18. Meetings of the Committee- (1) The Committee shall meet atleast once in three months or more often if found necessary to transact business under this Act or the rules made thereunder.
(2) Five members of the Committee shall form the quorum for a meeting of the Committee.
(3) The Chairman or in his absence a member elected by the Members present at the meeting shall preside over a meeting of the Committee
(4) Any matter coming up before a meeting of the Committee shall be decided by a majority of the members present and voting at the meeting and, in the case of any equality of votes, the Chairman or the member presiding over the meeting shall have and exercise a casting vote.
19. Travelling and Daily Allowances to Members of Committee- The nominated members of the committee shall be eligible to get such travelling allowance and daily allowance as may be prescribed.
20. Review- The Committee may suo motu at any time or on an application received from any person interested within ninety days of the passing of any order under the provisions of this Act, review any such order, if it was passed by them under any mistake, whether of fact or of law or in ignorance of any material fact:
Provided that the Committee shall not pass any order adversely effecting any person unless such person has been given an opportunity of making his representation.
21. Protection of action taken in good faith- (1) No suit, prosecution or other legal proceedings shall lie against any person for anything which in good faith done or intended to be done in pursuance of this Act or any rule made thereunder.
(2) No suit or other legal proceedings shall lie against the Committee or the Bar Council for any damage caused or likely to be caused by anything
1. Inserted by the Act No. 4 of 2003, S.11.
which is in good faith done or intended to be done in pursuance of this Act or any rule made thereunder.
22. Bar of jurisdiction to Civil Courts- No Civil Court shall have jurisdiction to settle decide or deal with any question or to determine any matter which is by or under this Act required to be settled, decided or deal with or to be determined by the Committee.
23. Power to summon witnesses and take evidence- The Committee shall, for the purposes of any enquiry under this Act, have the same powers as are vested in a Civil Court while trying a Suit under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (Central Act 5 of 1908) in respect of the following matters, namely:-
(a) enforcing the attendance of any person or examining him on oath;
(b) requiring the discovery and production of documents;
(c) receiving evidence on affidavit; and
(d) issuing Commissions for the examination of witnesses.
24. Power to make rules- (1) The Government may, by notification make rules for carrying out the purpose of this Act.
(2) Every rule made under the Act, shall immediately after it is made, be laid before the Legislative Assembly of the State if it is in session, and if it is not in session, in the session immediately following, for a total period of, fourteen days which may be comprised in one session or in two successive sessions and if, before the expiration of the session in which it is so laid or the session immediately following the Legislative Assembly agrees in making any modification in the rule or in the annulment of the rule, the rule shall, from the date on which the modification or annulment is notified have effect only in such modified form or shall stand annulled, as the case may be; so however that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that rule.