Enforcement of payment of prescribed wages

(1) If any landowner pays less than the prescribed wages or refuses to pay the prescribed wages to any agricultural worker, the agricultural worker or an official of the union of which he is a member may make an application to the Conciliation Officer for a direction under sub-section (2). (2) On receipt of an application under sub-section (1) the Conciliation Officer shall, after giving the applicant and the landowner an opportunity of being heard and after such inquiry, if any, as he may consider necessary, direct,— (a) in the case of a claim arising out of the payment of less than the prescribed wages, the payment to the agricultural worker of the amount by which the prescribed wages payable to him exceeds the amount actually paid by the landowner; (b) in the case of a claim arising out of non-payment of prescribed wages, the payment of the prescribed wages to the agricultural worker. (3) If as a result of a direction under sub-section (2), any amount of the prescribed wages becomes payable to an agricultural worker, the Conciliation Officer may,— (a) in the case of harvest,— (i) recover in kind or in cash such amount of the prescribed wages at the thrashing floor from out of the harvested paddy; and (ii) if the harvested paddy or any portion thereof has been removed from the thrashing floor in contravention of the provisions of section 12 recover in kind or in cash the amount of prescribed wages from the land owner concerned and if such recovery is not possible, the Conciliation Officer shall make a report to the Collector specifying the full particulars regarding the amount of cash value of the prescribed wages due to the agricultural worker concerned and on receipt of such report, the Collector shall proceed to recover the same from the landowner concerned as if it were an arrear of public revenue due on land; (b) in the case of any work other than harvest, recover in kind or in cash the amount of prescribed wages from the land owner concerned, and if such recovery is not possible, the Conciliation Officer shall make a report to the Collector specifying the full particulars, regarding the amount of cash value of the prescribed wages due to the agricultural worker concerned and on receipt of such report the Collector shall proceed to recover the same from the landowner concerned as if it were an arrear of land revenue due on land. Explanation.—In this sub-section, “Collector” means the Collector of the District or any other officer appointed by the Government to exercise the powers and perform the functions of a Collector under the Tripura Land Revenue and Land Reforms Act, 1960. (4) The Conciliation Officer shall have such powers as are necessary to effect the payment of the prescribed wages to the agricultural worker, including the power to enter upon any land on which, or into any building in which, the harvested crop is kept.