Section 21 — Responsibility for payment of wages.

21. Responsibility for payment of wages.—(1) A contractor shall be responsible for payment of 

wages to each worker employed by him as contract labour and such wages shall be paid before the expiry 

of such period as may be prescribed. 

(2) Every principal employer shall nominate a representative duly authorised by him to be present at 

the time of disbursement of wages by the contractor and it shall be the duty of such representative to 

certify the amounts paid as wages in such manner as may be prescribed. 

(3) It shall be the duty of the contractor to ensure the disbursement of wages in the presence of the 

authorised representative of the principal employer. 

(4) In case the contractor fails to make payment of wages within the prescribed period or makes short 

payment, then the principal employer shall be liable to make payment of wages in full or the unpaid 

balance due, as the case may be, to the contract labour employed by the contractor and recover the 

amount so paid from the contractor either by deduction from any amount payable to the contractor under 

any contract or as a debt payable by the contractor. 

CHAPTER VI 

PENALTIES AND PROCEDURE