Punjab Social Security Act, 2018
No: 8 Dated: Apr, 18 2018
THE PUNJAB SOCIAL SECURITY ACT, 2018
(Punjab Act No. 8 of 2018)
An Act to provide for the establishment of Punjab Social Security Fund with a view to provide for social services to the eligible beneficiaries under the relevant Schemes of the State of Punjab, in the form of pension to senior citizens, widows, destitute women, physically challenged persons; health and accident insurance; scholarship for education of children belonging to deprived sections; and such other financial assistance to poor and needy, as may be considered necessary.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Punjab in the Sixty-ninth Year of the Republic of India as follows: -
1. Short title and commencement:- (1) This Act may be called the Punjab Social Security Act, 2018.
(2) It shall come into force on and with effect from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.
2. Definitions: - (1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,–
(a) "collecting authority" means the authority as specified in sub-section (1) and sub-section (2) of section 7;
(b) "Fund" means the Punjab Social Security Fund constituted under section 4;
(c) "Government" means the Government of the State of Punjab in the Department of Finance;
(d) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
(e) "Scheduled Bank" means a bank included in the Second Schedule to the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934;
(f) "section" means section of this Act;
(g) "Social Security" means a system or mode or a measure that provides financial assistance, in cash or kind, to persons or class of persons with social, economic or physical disabilities or to a person or class of persons that the Government may by notification, specify;
(h) "social service" means the service including pensions for senior citizens, widows, destitute women, physically challenged persons; health and accident insurance; scholarship for children belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes and minorities; marriage grants to girls belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes and minorities; and financial assistance to the unemployed youth and acid attack victims; and
(i) "Trust" means the Trust established under section 6.
(2) The words and expressions used in this Act, but not defined, shall have the same meaning as assigned to them in the Punjab Value Added Tax Act, 2005 (Punjab Act No. 8 of 2005), the Punjab Motor Vehicles Taxation Act, 1924 (Punjab Act No. 4 of 1924), the Punjab Electricity (Duty) Act, 2005 (Punjab Act No. 9 of 2005), the Punjab Tax on Lotteries Act, 2005 (Punjab Act No. 18 of 2005) and the Companies Act, 2013 (Central Act No. 18 of 2013).
3. Levy of Social Security. - Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force and subject to the rules made or notifications issued under this Act, there shall be levied for the purpose of providing social services,-
(i) a Social Security Surcharge not exceeding rupees two per liter on sale of petrol and/or diesel which are subject to Punjab Value Added Tax levied under the Punjab Value Added Tax Act, 2005;
(ii) a Social Security Surcharge not exceeding one percent of value of vehicles registered in the State of Punjab which are subject to payment of tax under the Punjab Motor Vehicles Taxation Act, 1924;
(iii) a Social Security Surcharge not exceeding ten percent of tax on transportation vehicles in the State of Punjab which are subject to such tax under the Punjab Motor Vehicles Taxation Act, 1924;
(iv) a Social Security Surcharge at the rate of five percent of monthly electricity bill:
Provided that the minimum liability of the consumer shall not be less than rupees twenty five per month and the maximum liability of the consumer shall not exceed rupees ten thousand per month; and
(v) a Social Security surcharge not exceeding ten per cent of excise duty and license fee as chargeable under the Punjab Excise Act, 1914 (Punjab Act No. 1 of 1914):
Provided that the Government may by notification, exempt a person or a class of persons from payment of Social Security Surcharge under this Act.
4. Constitution of Fund. - (1) There shall be constituted a Fund to be called the Punjab Social Security Fund.
(2) The Fund shall vest with the Government.
(3) The Fund shall comprise of Social Security Surcharge levied and collected under this Act.
(4) The Fund shall also comprise of net revenues collected by the Government under the Punjab Tax on Lotteries Act, 2005.
(5) The Fund may receive Corporate Social Responsibility Contributions as per Schedule VII under section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013 for the purposes of this Act and such contributions shall also be deposited in the Fund account as per sub-section (3) of section 7 of the Act.
(6) The Fund may also receive contributions from individuals, partnership firms or companies under the Companies Act, 2013.