Establishment of Agricultural Workers' Welfare Fund

(1) The Government may, by notification in the Gazette, frame a scheme to be called the Agricultural Workers' Welfare Fund Scheme for the establishment of a Welfare Fund under this Act for the welfare of agricultural workers and there shall be established, as soon as may be after the framing of the Scheme, a fund in accordance with the provisions of this Act and the Scheme. (2) The Fund shall vest in, and be administered by, a Board constituted under section 11. (3) Subject to the provisions of this Act, the Scheme framed under sub-section (1) may provide for all or any of the matters specified in the Schedule. (4) The Scheme framed under sub-section (1) shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is framed, before the Legislative Assembly while it is in session for a total period of fourteen days which may be comprised in one session or in two successive sessions, and if before the expiry of the session in which it is so laid or the session immediately following, the Legislative Assembly makes any modification in the Scheme, the Scheme shall thereafter have effect only in such modified form; so however that any such modification shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under the Scheme. (5) Explanation.—The amount standing to the credit of the Provident Fund in existence immediately before the date of commencement of the Kerala Agricultural Workers (Amendment) Act, 1990 shall, on such commencement, be deemed to be the amount standing to the credit of the Agricultural Workers Welfare Fund. (1) If a Director or Chairman fails to attend three consecutive meetings of the Board without obtaining prior permission of the Chairman or the Government as the case may be, he shall subject to the provisions of the sub-paragraph (2) cease to be a Director. (2) A person who ceases to be a Director under sub-paragraph (1) shall be given intimation of such cessation by a letter sent to him by registered post within fifteen days from the date of such cessation. The letter shall indicate that, if he desires to restore his position as Director, he may apply therefore within fifteen days from the date of receipt of such letter. The application for such restoration, if received within the prescribed period shall be submitted to Government and if the Government are satisfied that the reasons for failure to attend three consecutive meetings are adequate, the Directorship may be restored to him.