(1) A Board may appoint such persons as it thinks fit to be Inspectors, possessing such qualifications as may be prescribed, for the purposes of this Act or any scheme, and may define the limits of their jurisdiction.
(2) Subject to the rules made under this Act, an Inspector may—
(a) enter and search at all reasonable hours, with such assistance as he thinks fit, any premises or place where unprotected workers are employed or work is given out to unprotected workers in any scheduled employment, for the purpose of examining any register, record of wages or notice required to be kept or exhibited under any scheme, or require any person concerned with such register, record of wages or notice to produce the same for inspection;
(b) examine any person whom he finds in any such premises or place and who he has reasons to believe is an unprotected worker employed, or is given out work, therein;
(c) require any person giving out any work to an unprotected worker or to a group of unprotected workers to give any information which is in his power to give in respect of the names and addresses of the persons to whom the work is given out and in respect of the payments made or to be made for the said work;
(d) seize, or take copies of, such register, record of wages or notice or portion thereof as he may consider relevant in respect of an offence under this Act or a scheme which he has reasons to believe has been committed by an employer;
and
(e) exercise such other powers as may be prescribed.
(3) Any person required to produce any register, record of wages or notice or to give any information under sub-section (2) shall be bound to do so:
Provided that no such person shall be required under this section to answer any question or to make any statement tending to incriminate himself.
(4) Every Inspector appointed under this section shall be deemed to be a public servant within the meaning of section 21 of the Indian Penal Code.
18. No child shall be engaged, or given out any work, in any scheduled employment.
Explanation.—"Child" shall mean a person who has not completed the age of fifteen years.
Inspectors and their powers.
Prohibition of employment of children.
495 The West Bengal Mazdoor, Tindal, Loader, Godownman and Other Workers (Regulation of Employment and Welfare) Act, 1981.
[West Ben. Act Bar to carry load exceeding fifty-five kilograms in •weight at a time.
Cognizance of offences.
(Sections 19-22.)
19. No worker shall be required by any employer to carry a load exceeding fifty-five kilograms in weight at a time.
20. ( I ) No Court shall take cognizance of any offence made punishable by a scheme or of any abetment thereof, except on a complaint in writing made by an Inspector or by a person specially authorised in this behalf by the Board or the State Government.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, an offence made punishable by a scheme or an abetment thereof shall be triable only by a Metropolitan Magistrate or a Judicial Magistrate of the first class.
2 of 1974.
Application of the Workmen's Compensalion Act,
1923. to unprotected war-ken.
Application of the Payment of Wages Act.
1936. to workers.
21. The provisions of the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1923 3 of 1923.
(hereinafter referred to in this section as the said Act) and the rules made thereunder shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the registered unprotected workers employed in any scheduled employment to which this Act applies; and for that purpose such workers shall be deemed to be workmen within the meaning of the said Act; and in relation to such workmen, employer shall mean, where a Board makes the payment of wages to any such workman, the Board, and in any other case, the employer as defined in this Act.