Last Updated on: February 16, 2024

Available Welfare Benefits

Drinking water

In every plantation effective arrangements shall be made by the employer to provide and maintain at convenient places in the plantation a sufficient supply of wholesome drinking water for all workers.

Drinking Water: An adequate supply of wholesome drinking water shall be made available in every plantation at work-sites, at all tirt e during working hours.

Source of Supply: The water provided for drinking shall be supplied -

(a) from the taps connected with a public water supply system; or
(b) from any other source approved by the Chief Inspector of plantations.

Storage of Water: If drinking water is not supplied from taps connected with a public water supply system, it shall be kept in suitable vessels and renewed at least daily. All practicable steps shall be taken to preserve the water and vessels from contamination and keep the vessel scrupulously clean.

Cleanliness of Well or Reservoir

1. Drinking water shall not be supplied from any open well or reservoir unless it is so constructed, situated, protected and maintained as to, be free from the possibility of pollution by chemical or bacterial and extraneous impurities.
2. Where drinking water is supplied from such well or reservoir, the water in it shall be sterilised periodically as required by the Inspector by written order, and the date on which sterilising is carried out shall be recorded : Provided that this requirement shall not apply to any such well or reservoir if the water therein is filtered and treated before it is supplied for consumption.

 

Distribution of Water: Drining water shall be supplied at work-sites at conveniently accessible points through paniwallas or by tankers, etc.

Conservancy

-There shall be provided separately for males and females in every plantation a sufficient number of latrines and urinals of prescribed type so situated as to be convenient and accessible to workers employed therein.

All latrines and urinals provided under sub-section (1) shall be maintained in a clean sanitary condition.

Comments

According to this Section provision for sufficient number of latrines and urinals separately for males and females have been made in every plantation as to be convenient and accessible to workers employed therein.

Latrine accomodation

(a) Latrine accommodation shall be fifty provided in every plantation the scale of one latrine for every acres of the area under cultivation or part thereof :
Provided that there shall be at least one latrine each for either sex. (b) The latrines shall be conveniently situated and shall have exclusive access for either sex.

Latrines to conform to public health requirement - The laterines should conform to public health requirements and latrines other than these connected with an efficient water borne sewage-system shall comply with the requirement of the public health authorities.

Privacy of latrines.- Every latrines shall be under cover and so partitioned off as to secure privacy and shall have door and fastenings.

Signboards to be displayed.- Where workers of both sexes are employed there shall be displayed outside each latrine block, a notice in Hindi and also in the languages understood by the majority of workers "for Men only" or “for Women onlu” as the case may be. The notice shall also bear the figure of a man or of a woman as the case may be.

Water taps in latrines - (a) Where piped water supply is available, a sufficient number of water taps, conveniently accessible shall be provided in or near such latrine accommodation.

(b) If, piped water supply is not available, sufficient quantity of water shall be kept stored in suitable receptacles near the latrine.

Urinal accommodation.- Urinal accommodation shall be provided in addition to the latrine accommodation as prescribed.

Urinals to conform to public health requirements.- Urinals should conform to public health requirements, Urinals other than those connected with an efficient water-borne sewage system shall comply with the requirements of the Public Health authorities.

Medical Facilities

In every plantation there shall be provided and maintained so as to be readily available such medical facilities for the workers and their families as may be prescribed by the State Government. If any plantation medical facilities are not provided and maintained as required by sub-section (1) the State Government upon a request by the Chief Inspector may cause to be provided and maintained therein such medical facilities and recover the cost thereof from defaulting employer.

 

For the purposes of such recovery the chief Inspector may certify the costs to be recovered to the collector, who may recover the amount as an arrear of land revenue.

Canteens

In every plantation wherein one hundred and fifty workers are ordinarily employed, one or more canteens shall be provided and maintained by the employer for the use of the workers.

Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power such rules defined by the State Government may provide for-

1. The date by which canteen shall be provided;
2. The number of canteens that shall be provided and the standard in respect of construction, accommodation furniture and other equipment of the canteens;
3. The food stuffs which may be served therein and the charges which may be made therefore;
4. The constitution of a managing committee for the canteen and the representation of the workers in the management of the canteen;

 

Comments

The State Government is empowered to make rules in every plantation wherein 150 workers are ordinarily employed for establishment of one or more canteens and provisions for its proper functioning.

 

Prices to be charged

1. Tea and snacks and other foodstuffs served in every canteen or at the work places from every canteen shall be sold on a no-profit basis. Furniture,fuel utensils, glasses, cups, dishes, etc., accomodation for the canteen and personnel to run its day to day affairs, e.g., cooks servers etc., shall be provided at the cost of the employer and no charges shall be made at all on those accounts in working out the prices of the items to be sold from the canteen.
2. Food-stuff shall be prepared and served in every canteen or at the work places, as the case may be in proper hygienic condition approved by the certifying Surgeon and they shall be taken to the work places in closed fly and dustproof containers,
3. Every canteen shall be run under the supervision of a canteen Management Committee consisting of equal number of representatives of both the management and the workers. The workersrepresentatives shall be nominated by the recognised Union and the management's representives shall be nominated by the employer. One of the management's representatives, as nominated by the employers shall be the Chairman of the Committee, total numbers members of which shall in no case exceed ten.
4. The decisions in the Canteen Management Committee shall be taken by majority of votes and in case of a tie, the Chairman shall have a casting vote.
5. The members of the Canteen Management Committee shall be nominated ordinarily for one term which shall be of two year(s) duration. No member, except the Chairman, shall be nominated for more than three consecutive terms.
6. The Canteen Management Committee shall sit at least once in a month and shall keep full minutes of its meetings a bound register authenticated by the members present by putting their signature or thumb impression and shall preserve the Minute Book for three years from the date of the last entry made therein.

 

Creches

In every plantation wherein fifty or more women workers (including women workers employed by any contractor) are employed or were employed on any day of the preceding twelve months, or where the number of children of women workers (including women workers employed by any contractor) is twenty or more, there shall be provided and maintained by the employer suitable rooms for the use of children such women workers.

Explanation- For the purposes of this sub-section and sub-section (1A), "children" means persons who are below me age of six years.

Notwithstanding anything Contained in sub-section (1), if, in respect of any plantation wherein less than fifty women workers (including women workers employed by any Contractor) are employed or were employed on any day of the preceding twelve months, or where the number of children of such women workers is less than twenty, the State Government, having regard to the number of children of such women workers deems it necessary that suitable rooms for the use of such children should be provided and maintained by the employer, it may, by order, direct the employer to provide and maintain such rooms and thereupon the employer shall be bound to comply with such direction.

The rooms referred to in sub-section (1) or sub-section (1A) shall-

1. Provide adequate accommodation;
2. Be adequately lighted and ventilated;
3. Be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition; and
4. Be under the charge of a woman trained in the care of children and infants.

 

Wash Rooms

1. There shall be in or adjoining the creche a suitable wash-room for the washing of the children and the clothes.
2. There shall be provided a latrine for the use of children it the creche.
3. At least 0.25 litres of clean fresh milk or powdered milk approved by the Certifying Surgeon and wholesome refreshment shall be made available by the employer at his own cost for each child upto two years of age on every day, it is accomodated in the creche. For children above two year of age there shall be provided at the cost of the employer an adequate supply of wholesome solid food on every day, each such child is accomodated therein.
4. The mother of each child below two year of age accommodate in the creche shall be allowed in course of her daily work two intervals of sufficient time to visit the creche and to feed her child.

Provided further that existing practice of providing free food to children in some plantations shall continue unaffected.

The State Government may make rules requiring every employer to make provision in his plantation for such recreational facilities for the workers and children employed therein as may be prescribed.

 

Recreational facilities

Provided further that existing practice of providing free food to children in some plantations shall continue unaffected.

Supply of clothes, soap and. oil.- (1) The creche staff shall be provided with suitable clean cloths for use while on duty in the creche. An adequate supply of towel, soap and oil shall be made available for each child while it is in the creche; in addition, clean clothes shall be provided to each child under three years of age for use in the creche.

Recreational facilities.- Every employers shall provide and maintain-

• Recreation Centre to the scale of one for every one hundred and seventy-five families of resident workers or part thereof with provision for a radio set and indoor games for adult and child workers as specified by the Chief Inspector of Plantations with prior approval of the State Government subject to there being at least one centre for each Plantation or outgarden thereof;
• where adequate flat open space is available within a reasonable distance, a playground or playgrounds for adult and child workers with necessary sports equipment for out-door games: Every recreation centre to be provided and maintained under Rule 50 shall be conveniently situated as near as possible to the workers quaters.