Cabinet approves ordinance to allow salary via e-mode, cheque

22 Dec 2016 Evaluate

In a bid for a digital and cashless economy, government has given its nod for cashless salary. The Union Cabinet has approved the ordinance route to amend the Payment of Wages Act, 1936, to allow employers of certain industries to make payment through the electronic mode and cheques. Employers will now have the option of cashless payment, while the option of payment in cash still exists, but the law will allow state governments to specify industrial units or other establishments that should go the cashless way.

The Bill introduced by Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya will also allow state governments to specify industrial or other establishments that adopt cashless way for salary payments. The Bill stated that the new procedure will serve the objective of ‘digital and less-cash economy’. The government has introduced ordinance to amend laws for immediate implementation of new rules. An ordinance is valid for six months only and the government is required to get it passed in Parliament within that period.

The Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill, 2016, seeks to amend Section 6 of the principal Act to enable employers to pay wages to employees through cheques or by crediting it to their bank accounts electronically. The Act had come into force on April 23, 1936, providing for payment of wages in coin or currency notes, or in both. The provision for payment of wages by cheque or crediting it into bank account after obtaining the requisite authorisation of employee was inserted in 1975. At present, the Act covers all those employees in certain categories of establishments whose wage does not exceed Rs 18,000 per month.


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