MAINTENANCE OF RECORDS & REGISTERS :

Section 29 states that every principal employer and every contractor shall maintain such registers and records in such forms as may be prescribed.

The registers and records to be maintained, the notices to be displayed and the returns to be submitted by the contractors and the principal employer to the registering officers or/and licensing officer are explained in detail in the rules framed under the Act by the Central Government and the State Government.

The principal employers and the contractors are also required to keep exhibited in such manner as may be prescribed within the premises of the establishment where the contract labour is employed, notices in the prescribed form containing particulars about the hours of work, nature of duty and such other information as may be prescribed.

Labour Laws (Exemption from furnishing returns and maintaining Registers by certain Establishments) Act, 1988 provides for exemptions of employers in relation to establishments employing a small number of persons from furnishing returns and maintaining registers under certain labour laws including Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970 (as given in Schedule I). The Act has come into effect on 1st May, 1989.

As per this Act “small establishments” (establishments employing not less than 10 persons and not more than 19 persons) are required to furnish a core Return in Form A and maintain Registers Form B, Form C, and Form D and “very small establishments” (establishments employing not more than 9 persons) are required to furnish return in Form A and maintain Register in Form E prescribed under this Act. This requirement is in lieu of furnishing of such returns/maintaining of such registers prescribed under various labour laws mentioned in Schedule I to this Act.