Section 20 — Penalty for offences under the Act.

20. Penalty for offences under the Act.—(1) Whoever being responsible for the payment of wages 

to an employed person contravenes any of the provisions of any of the following section, 

namely, 
6
[section 5 except sub-section (4) thereof, section 7, section 8 except sub-section (8) thereof, 

section 9, section 10 except sub-section (2) thereof, and sections11 to 13], both inclusive, shall be 

punishable 
7
[with fine which shall not be less than one thousand five hundred rupees but which may 

extend to seven thousand five hundred rupees]. 

(2) Whoever contravenes the provisions of section 4, 
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[sub-section (4) of section 5, section 6,         

sub-section (8) of section 8, sub-section (2) of section 10] or section 25 shall be punishable 
9
[with fine 

which may extend to three thousand seven hundred fifty rupees]. 

                                                           
1. Subs. by Act 68 of 1957, s. 7, for sub-section (2) (w.e.f. 1-4-1958). 

2. Ins. by Act 53 of 1964, s. 15 (w.e.f. 1-2-1965). 

3. Ins. by Act 68 of 1957, s. 8 (w.e.f. 1-4-1958). 

4. Subs. by Act 53 of 1964, s. 16, for “any official of a registered trade union authorised in writing to act on his behalf"”                 

(w.e.f. 1-2-1965). 

5. Subs. by Act 38 of 1982, s. 10, for “Chapter XXVI of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973” (w.e.f. 15-10-1982). 

6. Subs. by Act 53 of 1964, s. 18, for “section 5 and sections 7 to 13” (w.e.f. 1-2-1965). 

7. Subs. by Act 41 of 2005, s. 9, for “with fine which shall not be less than two hundred rupees but which may extend to one 

thousand rupees” (w.e.f. 9-11-2005). 

8. Subs. by Act 53 of 1964, s.18, for “section 6” (w.e.f. 1-2-1965). 

9. Subs. by Act 41 of 2005, s. 9, for “with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees” (w.e.f. 9-11-2005). 



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1
[(2A) Whoever being required to nominate or designate a person under section 3 fails to do so, such 

person shall be punishable with fine which may extend to three thousand rupees.] 

2
[(3) Whoever being required under this Act to maintain any records or registers or to furnish any 

information or return— 

(a) fails to maintain such register or record; or 

(b) wilfully refuses or without lawful excuse neglects to furnish such information or return; or 

(c) wilfully furnishes or causes to be furnished any information or return which he knows to be 

false; or 

(d) refuses to answer or wilfully gives a false answer to any question necessary for obtaining any 

information required to be furnished under this Act, 

shall for each such offence, be punishable 
3
[with fine which shall not be less than one thousand five 

hundred rupees but which may extend to seven thousand five hundred rupees]. 

(4) Whoever— 

(a) wilfully obstructs an Inspector in the discharge of his duties under this Act; or 

(b) refuses or wilfully neglects to afford an Inspector any reasonable facility for making any 

entry, inspection, examination, supervision, or inquiry authorised by or under this Act in relation to 

any railway, factory of 
4
[industrial or other establishment]; or 

(c) wilfully refuses to produce on the demand of an Inspector any register or other document kept 

in pursuance of this Act; or 

(d) prevents or attempts to prevent or does anything which he has any reason to believe is likely 

to prevent any person from appearing before or being examined by an Inspector acting in pursuance 

of his duties under this Act, 

shall be punishable 
5
[with fine which shall not be less than one thousand five hundred rupees but which 

may extend to seven thousand five hundred rupees]. 

(5) If any person who has been convicted of any offence punishable under this Act is again guilty of 

an offence involving contravention of the same provision, he shall be punishable on a subsequent 

conviction with imprisonment for a term 
6
[with fine which shall not be less than three thousand seven 

hundred fifty rupees but which may extend to twenty-two thousand five hundred]: 

Provided that for the purpose of sub-section, no cognizance shall be taken of any conviction made 

more than two years before the date on which the commission of the offence which is being punished 

came to the knowledge of the Inspector. 

(6) If any person fails or wilfully neglects to pay the wages of any employed person by the date fixed 

by the authority, in this behalf, he shall, without prejudice to any other action that may be taken against 

him, be punishable with an additional fine which may extend to 
7
[seven hundred fifty rupees] for each day 

for which such failure or neglect continues.] 

                                                           
1. Ins. by Act 41 of 2005, s. 9 (w.e.f. 9-11-2005). 

2. Ins. by Act 53 of 1964, s.18 (w.e.f. 1-2-1965). 

3. Subs. by Act 41 of 2005, s. 9, for “with fine which shall not be less than two hundred rupees but which may extend to one 

thousand rupees” (w.e.f. 9-11-2005). 

4. Subs. by Act 38 of 1982, s. 11, for “industrial establishment” (w.e.f. 15-10-1982).  

5. Subs. by Act 41 of 2005, s. 9, for “with fine which shall not be less than two hundred rupees but which may extend to one 

thousand rupees” (w.e.f. 9-11-2005). 

6. Subs. by s. 9, ibid., for “with fine which shall not be less than five hundred rupees but which may extend to three thousand 

rupees” (w.e.f. 9-11-2005). 

7. Subs. by s. 9, ibid., for “one hundred rupees” (w.e.f. 9-11-2005). 



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