THE DOCK WORKERS (SAFETY, HEALTH AND WELFARE) ACT, 1986 
__________ 

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS 
__________ 

SECTIONS 

1.  Short title, extent, commencement and application. 
2.  Definitions. 
3.  Inspectors. 
4.  Powers of Inspectors. 
5.  Powers of Inspectors where employment of dock workers are dangerous. 
6.  Facilities to be afforded to an Inspector. 
7.  Restrictions on disclosure of information. 
8.  Appeal. 
9.  Advisory Committee. 
10.  Power of appropriate Government to direct inquiry into cases of accidents or diseases. 
11.  Obligations of dock workers. 
12.  Power to exempt. 
13.  Protection of action taken in good faith. 
14.  Penalties. 
15.  Determination of the persons responsible for the offence in certain cases. 
16.  Power of court to make orders. 
17.  Provisions relating to jurisdiction. 
18.  Provision regarding fine. 
19.  General provision for punishment for other offences. 
20.  Power to make rules. 
21.  Power to make regulations. 
22.  General provision relating to rules and regulations. 
23.  Amendment of Act 9 of 1948. 
24.  Repeal. 
25.  Savings. 

1 

 
 
 
THE DOCK WORKERS (SAFETY, HEALTH AND WELFARE) ACT, 1986 

ACT NO. 54 OF 1986 

[7th December, 1986.] 

An Act to provide for the safety, health and welfare of dock workers and for matters connected 

therewith. 

BE it enacted by Parliament in the Thirty-seventh Year of the Republic of India as follows:— 

1.  Short  title,  extent,  commencement  and  application.—(1)  This  Act  may  be  called  the  Dock 

Workers (Safety, Health and Welfare) Act, 1986. 

(2) It extends to the whole of India. 
(3)  It  shall  come  into  force  on  such  date1as  the  Central  Government  may,  by  notification  in  the 

Official Gazette, appoint. 

(4) It shall not apply to any ship of war of any nationality. 

2. Definitions.—In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,— 

(a) “appropriate Government” means, in relation to any major port, the Central Government, and, 

in relation to any other port, the State Government; 

(b) “cargo” includes anything carried or to be carried in a ship or other vessel; 

(c) “Chief Inspector” means the Chief Inspector of Dock Safety, appointed under sub-section (1) 

of section 3; 

(d) ”dock  work”  means  any  work  in  or  within  the  vicinity  of  any  port  in  connection  with,  or 
required  for,  or incidental  to,  the  loading,  unloading,  movement  or  storage  of  cargoes  into  or  from 
ship or other vessel, port, dock, storage place or landing place, and includes— 

(i) work in connection with the preparation of ships or other vessels for receipt or discharge of 

cargoes or leaving port; and 

(ii) chipping, painting or cleaning of any hold, tank, structure or lifting machinery or any other 

storage area in board the ship or in the docks; 

(e)  “dock  worker”  means  a  person  employed  or  to  be  employed  directly  or  by  or  through  any 
agency  (including  a  contractor)  with  or  without  knowledge  of  the  principal  employer,  whether  for 
remuneration or not, on dock work; 

(f)“employer”, in relation to a dock worker, means the person by whom he is employed or is to be 

employed on dock work, whether for remuneration or not; 

(g) “principal employer”, in relation to a dock worker employed or to be employed by or through 
any agency (including a contractor), means the person in connection with those work he is employed 
or is to be employed by such agency; 

(h) “regulation” means a regulation made under this Act. 

 3.  Inspectors.—(1)  The  appropriate  Government  may,  by  notification  in  the  Official  Gazette, 
appoint such person as it thinks fit to be the Chief Inspector of Dock Safety and such persons as it thinks 
fit to be Inspectors subordinate to the Chief Inspector for the purposes of this Act at such ports as may be 
specified in the notification. 

(2) The Chief Inspector shall also exercise the powers of an Inspector. 

(3) The Chief Inspector and all Inspectors shall be deemed to be public servants within the meaning 

of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860). 

1.15th  April,  1987,  vide  notification  No.  G.S.R.  399(E),  dated  15th  April,  1987,  see  Gazette  of  India,  Extraordinary,  Part  II,           

sec. 3(i). 

2 

 
                                                           
4. Powers of Inspectors.—An Inspector may, at any port for which he is appointed,— 

(a)  enter,  with  such  assistance  (if  any),  as  he  thinks  fit,  any  ship,  dock,  warehouse  or  other 
premises, where any dock work is being carried on, or where he has reason to believe that any dock 
work is being carried on; 

(b)  make  examination  of  the  ship,  dock,  lifting  machinery,  cargo  gear,  stagings,  transport 

equipment, warehouses or other premises, used or to be used, for any dock work; 

(c)  require  the  production  of  any  register,  muster  roll  or  other  document  relating  to  the 

employment of dock workers and examine such document; 

(d) take on the spot or otherwise such evidence of any person which he may deem necessary: 

Provided that no person shall be compelled under this section to answer any question or give any 

evidence tending to incriminate himself; 

(e)  take  copies  of  registers,  records  or  other  documents  or  portions  thereof  as he  may  consider 
relevant  in  respect  of  any offence  which  he  has  reason  to  believe  has  been  committed  or  for  the 
purpose of any inquiry; 

(f)  take  photograph,  sketch,  sample,  measure  or  record  as  he  may  consider  necessary  for  the 

purpose of any examination or inquiry; 

(g) hold an inquiry into the causes of any accident which he has reason to believe was the result 
of the collapse or failure of lifting machinery, transport equipment, staging or non-compliance with 
any of the provisions of this Act or the regulations; 

(h) issue show cause notice relating to the safety, health and welfare provisions arising under this 

Act or the regulations; 

(i)  prosecute,  conduct  or  defend  before  any  court  any  complaint  or  other  proceedings  arising 

under this Act or the regulations; 

(j) exercise such other powers as may be conferred upon him by the regulations. 

5. Powers of Inspectors where employment of dock workers are dangerous.—(1) If it appears to 
an Inspector that any place at which any dock work is being carried on is in such a condition that it is 
dangerous  to  life,  safety  or  health,  of  dock  workers,  he  may,  in  writing,  serve  on  the  owner  or  on  the 
person in charge of such place an order prohibiting any dock work in such place until measures have been 
taken to remove the cause of the danger to his satisfaction. 

(2) An Inspector serving an order under sub-section (1) shall endorse a copy to the Chief Inspector 

who may modify or cancel the order without waiting for an appeal. 

6.  Facilities  to  be  afforded  to  an  Inspector.—The  owner  or  the  person  in  charge  of  the  place  at 
which any dock work is being carried on, shall afford the Chief Inspector or the Inspector all reasonable 
facilities for making any entry, inspection, survey, measurement, examination or inquiry under this Act or 
the regulations. 

7.  Restrictions  on  disclosure  of  information.—(1)  All  copies  of,  and  extracts  from,  registers  or 
other records in relation to any dock work and all other information required by the Chief Inspector or an 
Inspector or by any one assisting him, in the course of the inspection or investigation carried out for the 
purposes of this Act or the regulations shall be regarded as confidential and shall not be disclosed to any 
person or authority unless such disclosure is for the purpose of any action or proceeding under this Act or 
the  regulations  or  under  any  other  law  or  unless  the  Chief  Inspector  or  the  Inspector  considers  such 
disclosure necessary to ensure the health, safety or welfare of any dock worker. 

(2) The Chief Inspector or the Inspector shall not disclose the source of any complaint bringing to his 
notice a defect or breach of any legal provisions and if any visit or inspection is to be made in connection 
with such a complaint, he shall give no intimation to the employer that the visit is made in consequence of 
receipt of such a complaint: 

3 

 
Provided  that  the  restrictions  imposed  under  this  sub-section  shall  not  apply  to  any  case  where  the 

complainant himself has expressed his willingness to have the source of complaint disclosed. 

(3) If the Chief Inspector or an Inspector or any other person referred to in sub-section (1) discloses, 
contrary  to  the  provisions  of  this  section,  any  information  as  aforesaid,  the  shall  he  punishable  with 
imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both. 

8. Appeal.—Any person aggrieved by an order under section 5 may, within fifteen days from the date 
on which the order is communicated to him, prefer an appeal to the Chief Inspector or where such order is 
by the Chief Inspector, to such authority as may be specified by the regulations and the Chief Inspector on 
such  authority  shall,  after  giving  the  appellant  an  opportunity  of  being  heard,  dispose  of  the  appeal  as 
expeditiously as possible: 

Provided that the Chief Inspector or such authority may entertain the appeal  after the expiry of the 
said period of fifteen days if he is satisfied that the appellant was prevented by sufficient cause from filing 
the appeal in time: 

Provided  further  that  an  order  under  section  5  shall  be  complied  with,  pending  the  decision  of  the 

Chief Inspector or such authority. 

9. Advisory Committee.—(1) The appropriate Government may constitute an Advisory Committee 
to  advise  upon  such  matters  arising  out  of  the  administration  of  this  Act  and  the  regulations  as  that 
Government may refer to it for advice. 

(2) The members of the Advisory Committee shall be appointed by the appropriate Government and 

shall be of such number and chosen in such manner as may be prescribed by rules made under this Act: 

Provided that the Advisory Committee shall include an equal number of members representing— 

(i) the appropriate Government, 

(ii) the dock workers, and 

(iii) the employers of dock workers and shipping companies. 

(3) The Chairman of the Advisory Committee shall be one of the members appointed to represent the 

appropriate Government, nominated in this behalf by that Government. 

(4) The appropriate Government shall publish in the Official Gazette the names of all members of the 

Advisory Committee. 

(5) The term of office of the members of the Advisory Committee and the manner of filling vacancies 
among, and the procedure to be followed in the discharge of their functions by, the members shall be such 
as may be prescribed by rules made under this Act. 

10. Power of appropriate Government to direct inquiry into cases of accidents or diseases.—(1) 
The  appropriate  Government  may,  if  it  considers  it  expedient  to  do  so,  appoint  a  competent  person  to 
inquire  into  the  causes  of  any  accident  occurring  in  connection  with  any  dock  work  or  into  any  cases 
where a disease specified by regulations as a disease connected with dock work has been or is suspected 
to have been contracted by dock workers and may also appoint one or more persons possessing legal or 
special knowledge to act as assessors in such inquiry. 

(2)  The  person  appointed  to  hold  an  inquiry  under  this  section  shall  have  all  the  powers  of  a  civil 
court under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (5 of 1908) for the purposes of enforcing the attendance of 
witnesses and compelling the production of documents and material objects and may also, so far as may 
be necessary for the purposes of the inquiry, exercise any of the powers of an Inspector under this Act; 
and every person required by the person making the inquiry to furnish any information shall be deemed to 
be legally bound so to do within the meaning of section 176 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860). 

(3)  The  person  holding  the  inquiry  under  this  section  shall  make  a  report  to  the  appropriate 
Government  stating  the  causes  of  the  accident  or,  as  the  case  may  be,  disease  and  any  attendant 
circumstances and adding any observations which he or any of the assessors may think fit to make. 

4 

 
(4)  The  procedure  to  be  followed  at  inquiries  under  this  section  shall  be  such  as  the  appropriate 

Government may prescribe by rules under section 20. 

11. Obligations of dock workers.—(1) No dock worker shall— 

(a)  wilfully  interfere  with,  or  misuse,  any  appliance,  convenience  or  other  thing  provided  in 
connection  with  any  dock  work  for  the  purpose  of  securing  the  health,  safety  and  welfare  of  dock 
workers; 

(b) wilfully and without reasonable cause do anything likely to endanger himself or others; and 

(c)  wilfully  neglect  to  make  use  of  any  appliance,  convenience  or  other  thing  provided  in 
connection  with  any  dock  work  for  the  purpose  of  securing  the  health,  safety  and  welfare  of  dock 
workers. 

(2) If any dock worker contravenes any of the provisions of sub-section (1), he shall be punishable 
with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or with fine which may extend to one 
hundred rupees, or with both. 

12.  Power  to  exempt.—The  appropriate  Government  may,  by  notification  in  the  Official  Gazette, 
exempt from all or any of the provisions of this Act and of the regulations, or such conditions, if any, as it 
thinks fit— 

(a) any port or place, dock, wharf, quay or similar premises, if that Government is satisfied that 
dock  work  is  only  occasionally  carried  on  or  the  traffic  is  small  and  confined  to  small  ships  and 
fishing vessels at such port, dock, wharf, quay or similar premises; or 

(b)  any  specified  ship  or  class  of  ships,  if  that  Government  is  satisfied,  having  regard  to  the 
features of such ship or ships, the nature, quantum and periodicity of dock work carried thereon and 
all other relevant factors, that it is necessary so to do: 

Provided  that  the  appropriate  Government  shall  not  grant  exemption  under  this  section  unless  it  is 

satisfied that such exemption will not adversely affect the health, safety and welfare of dock workers. 

13. Protection of action taken in good faith.—No suit, prosecution or other legal proceeding shall 

lie against any person for anything which is in good faith done or intended to be done under this Act. 

14. Penalties.—(1) Whoever,— 

(a) wilfully obstructs an Inspector in exercise of any power conferred by or under this Act or fails 
to  produce  on  demand  by  an  Inspector  any  register  or  other  documents  kept  in  pursuance  of  the 
regulations  or  otherwise  in  connection  with  any  dock  work  or  conceals  or  prevents  or  attempts  to 
prevent any person from appearing before, or being examined by, an Inspector; or 

(b) unless duly authorised or in case of necessity, removes any fencing, gangway,  gear, ladder, 
life-saving means or appliance, light, mark, stage or other thing required to be provided by, or under, 
the regulations; or 

(c) having  in  case  of  necessity  removed  any  such  fencing,  gangway,  gear,  ladder,  life-saving 
means or appliance, light, mark, stage or other thing, omits to restore it at the end of the period for 
which its removal was necessary, 

shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which 
may extend to five thousands rupees, or with both. 

(2) If any person, being a person whose duty is to comply with any of the regulations, contravenes 

such regulations and such contravention results— 

(a) in any fatal accident to a dock worker, or 

(b) an accident which incapacitates a dock worker from earning his full wages for more than a 

fortnight, 

such person shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with 
fine which shall not be less than two thousand rupees in a case falling under clause (a) and five hundred 

5 

 
rupees in a case falling under clause (b) but which may extend, in either case, to five thousand rupees, or 
with  both,  and  the  court  may  order  the  whole  or  part  of  the  fine  to  be  paid  to  the  dependent  of  the 
deceased dock worker or, as the case may be, to the injured dock worker. 

Explanation.—The provisions of this sub-section shall be in addition to any provisions which may be 

made under sub-section (4) of section 21. 

(3) Subject to the provisions of section 11, if any dock worker contravenes any provision of this Act 
or  the  regulations  imposing  any  duty  or  liability  on  dock  workers,  he  shall  be  punishable  with 
imprisonment  for  a  term  which  may  extend  to  three  months,  or  with  tine  which  may  extend  to  two 
hundred rupees, or with both. 

(4) If any person who has been convicted for an offence punishable under any of the provisions of 
this Act or the regulations is again convicted for an offence committed within two year of the previous 
conviction  and  involving  a  contravention  of  the  same  provision,  he  shall  be  punishable  for  each 
subsequent  conviction  with  double  the  imprisonment  to  which  he  would  have  been  liable  for  the  first 
contravention of such provision. 

15.  Determination  of  the  persons  responsible  for  the  offence  in  certain  cases.—If  the  person 
committing an offence made punishable by this Act or the regulations or any abetment thereof is a firm or 
other association of individuals or a company or a local authority, all or any of the partners or members or 
directors  thereof  as  well  as  the  firm,  association  of  individuals,  company  or  local  authority  shall  be 
deemed to be guilty of the offence or abetment and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished 
accordingly: 

Provided that where a firm, association or company has given notices in writing to the Chief Inspector 

and the Inspector of the port where any dock work is being carried that it has nominated,— 

(a) in the case of a firm, any of its partners; 

(b) in the case of an association, any of its members; 

(c) in the case of a company, any of its directors, 

who is resident, in each case in any place to which this Act extends and who is in each case either in fact 
in  charge  of  the  management  of,  or  holds  the  largest  number  of  shares  in,  such  firm,  association  or 
company, to assume the responsibility of the person in charge of any dock work for the purposes of this 
Act, such partner, member or director, as the case may be, shall, so long as he continues to so reside and 
be in charge or hold the largest number of shares as aforesaid, be deemed to be the person in charge of 
such dock work for the purposes of this Act unless a notice in writing cancelling his nomination or stating 
that  he  has  ceased  to  be  a  partner,  member  or  director,  as  the  case  may  be,  is  received  by  the  Chief 
Inspector. 

16.  Power  of  court  to  make  orders.—(1)  Where  a  person  is  convicted  of  an  offence  punishable 
under this Act the court may, in addition to awarding him any punishment, by order in writing, require 
him  within  a  period  specified  in  the  order  (which  may  be  extended  by  the  court  from  time  to  time  on 
application made in this behalf) to take such measures as may be so specified for remedying the matters in 
respect of which offence was committed. 

(2)  Where  an  order  is  made  under  sub-section  (1),  the  person  shall  not  be  liable  under  this  Act  in 
respect of the continuance of the offence during the period, or extended period, if any, but if on the expiry 
of such period or extended period the order of the court has not been fully complied with, the person shall 
be  deemed  to  have  committed  a  further  offence  and  shall  be  punishable  with  imprisonment  for  a  term 
which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to one hundred rupees for every day after 
such expiry on which the order has not been complied with, or with both. 

17. Provisions relating to jurisdiction.—(1) No court inferior to that of a metropolitan magistrate or 

a magistrate of the first class shall try any offence under this Act or the regulations. 

(2) No prosecution for any offence under this Act or the regulations shall be instituted except by or 

with the previous sanction of an Inspector. 

6 

 
(3)  Notwithstanding  anything  contained  in  the  Code  of  Criminal  Procedure,  1973  (2  of  1974),  no 
court shall take cognizance of an offence under this Act or the regulations unless complaint thereof has 
been made— 

(a) in the case of an offence punishable with fine,— 

(i) within six months from the date of the offence; or 

(ii) where the commission of the offence was not known to the Inspector, within six months from 

the first day on which the offence comes to the knowledge of the Inspector; or 

(iii) where it is not known by whom the offence was committed, within six months from the first 

day on which the identity of the offender is known to the Inspector; or 

(b) in the case of an offence punishable with imprisonment,— 

(i) within one year from the date of the offence; or 

(ii) where the commission of the offence was not known to the Inspector, within one year from 

the first day on which the offence comes to the knowledge of the Inspector; or 

(iii) where it is not known by whom the offence was committed, within six months from the first 

day on which the identity of the offender is known to the Inspector. 

Explanation.—For the purposes of this section, in the case of a continuing offence a fresh period of 

limitation shall begin to run at every movement of the time during which the offence continues. 

18.  Provision  regarding  fine.—Notwithstanding  anything  contained  in  section  29  of  the  Code  of 
Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), it shall be lawful for a metropolitan magistrate or a magistrate of 
the  first  class  to  pass  a  sentence  of  fine  exceeding  five  thousand  rupees  authorised  by  this  Act  or  the 
regulations on any person convicted of any offence thereunder. 

19.  General  provision  for  punishment  for  other  offences.—Any  person  who  contravenes  any 
provision  of  this  Act  shall,  if  no  other  penalty  is  provided  for  such  contravention  under  this  Act,  be 
punishable with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees. 

20. Power to make rules.—The appropriate Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, 

make rules consistent with this Act for all or any of the following purposes, namely:— 

(a) the manner in which an Inspector is to exercise the powers conferred upon him under this Act; 

(b) the inspection of premises of ships where any dock work is carried on; 

(c) the manner of services of orders made under this Act; 

(d) the term of office and other conditions of service of members of the Advisory Committee, the 
manner  of  filling  vacancies  among,  and  the  procedure  to  be  followed  in,  the  discharge  of  their 
functions under sub-section (5) of section 9; 

(e) the procedure at inquiries under section 10; and 

(f) any other matter which is to be provided for by rules under this Act. 

21.  Power  to  make  regulations.—(1)  The  appropriate  Government  may,  by  notification  in  the 
Official Gazette, make regulations consistent with this Act for providing for the safety, health and welfare 
of dock workers. 

(2) Such regulations may provide for all or any of the following purposes, namely:— 

(a) providing for the general requirement relating to the construction, equipping and maintenance 
for the safety of working places on shore, ship, dock, structure and other places at which any dock 
work is carried on; 

(b) providing for the safety of any regular approaches over a dock, wharf, quay or other places 

which dock workers have to use for going for work and for fencing of such places and projects; 

7 

 
(c) providing for the efficient lighting of all areas of dock, ship, any other vessel, dock structure 
or working places where any dock work is carried on and of all approaches to such places to which 
dock workers are required to go in the course of their employment; 

(d) providing and maintaining adequate ventilation and suitable temperature in every building or 

an enclosure on ship where dock workers are employed; 

(e) providing for the fire and explosion prevention and protection; 

(f) providing for safe means of access to ships, holds, stagings, equipment, lifting appliances and 

other working places; 

(g) providing for the safety of workers engaged in the opening and closing of hatches, protection 

of ways and other openings in the docks which may be dangerous to them; 

(h) providing for the safely of workers on docks from the risk of falling overboard being struck 

by cargo during loading or unloading operations; 

(i)  providing  for  the  construction,  maintenance  and  use  of  lifting  and  other  cargo  handling 
appliances  and  services,  such  as,  pallets  containing  or  supporting  loads  and  provision  of  safety 
appliances on them, if necessary; 

(j) providing for the safety of workers employed in freight container terminals or other terminals 

for handling unitised cargo; 

(k) providing for the fencing of machinery, live electrical conductors, steam pipes and hazardous 

openings; 

(l) providing for the construction, maintenance and use of staging; 

(m) providing for the rigging and use of ship’s derricks; 

(n)  providing  for  the  testing,  examination,  inspection  and  certification  as  appropriate  of  loose 

gears including chains and ropes and of slings and other lifting devices used in the dock work; 

(o) providing for the precautions to be taken to facilitate escape of workers when employed in a 

hold, bin, hopper or the like or between decks of a hold while handling coal or other bulk cargo; 

(p) providing for the measures to be taken in order to prevent dangerous methods of working in 

the stacking, unstacking, stowing and unstowing of cargo or handling in connection therewith; 

(q)  providing  for  the  handling  of  dangerous  substances  and  working  in  dangerous  or  harmful 

environments and the precautions to be taken in connection with such handling; 

(r)  providing  for  the  work  in  connection  with  cleaning,  chipping,  painting  operations  and 

precautions to be taken in connection with such work; 

(s)  providing  for  the  employment  of  persons  for  handling  cargo,  handling  appliances,  power 
operated hatch covers or other power operated ship’s equipment, such as, door in the hull of a  ship, 
ramp, retraceable car deck or similar equipment or to give signals to the drivers of such machinery; 

(t) providing for the transport of dock workers; 

(u) providing for the precautions to be taken to protect dock workers against harmful effects of 

excessive noise, vibrations and air pollution at the work place; 

(v) providing for protective equipment or protective clothing; 

(w) providing for the sanitary, washing and welfare facilities; 

(x) providing for— 

(i) the medical supervision; 

(ii) the ambulance rooms, first aid and rescue facilities and arrangements for the removal of 

dock workers to the nearest place of treatment; 

8 

 
(iii) the safety and health organisation; and 

(iv) the training of dock workers and for the obligations and rights of the  dock workers for 

their safety and health at the work place; 

(y) providing for the investigation of occupational accidents, dangerous occurrences and diseases, 
specifying such diseases and the forms of notices, the persons and authorities to whom, they are to be 
furnished, the particulars to be contained in them and the time within which they are to be submitted; 
and 

(z)  providing  for  the  submission  of  statement  of  accidents,  man-days  lost,  volume  of  cargo 

handled and particulars of dock workers. 

(3) The regulations made under this section may,— 

(a) provide for the circumstances in which and the conditions subject to which, exemptions from 
any of the regulations made under this section may be given specifying the authorities who may grant 
such exemptions and regulating their procedure; and 

(b) make special provision to meet the special requirement of any particular port or ports. 

(4) In making a regulation under this section the appropriate Government may direct that a breach 
thereof shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine 
which may extend to five thousand rupees, or with both, and, if the breach is continued after conviction, 
with  a  further  fine  which  may  extend  to  one  hundred  rupees  for  each  day  on  which  the  breach  is  so 
continued. 

22.  General  provision  relating  to  rules  and  regulations.—(1)  The  power  to  make  rules  and 
regulations conferred by sections 20 and 21 is subject to the condition of the rules and regulations being 
made after previous publications. 

(2) The date to be specified in accordance with clause (3) of section 23 of the General Clauses Act, 
1897 (10 of 1897) as that after which a draft of rules or regulations proposed to be made will be taken 
under consideration, shall not be less than forty-five days from the date on which the draft of the proposed 
rules or regulations is published for general information. 

(3) Every rule and every regulation made under this Act by the Central Government shall be laid, as 
soon as may be after it is made, before each House of Parliament, while it is in session, for a total period 
of  thirty  days  which  may  be  comprised  in  one  session  or  in  two  or  more  successive  sessions,  and  if, 
before the expiry of the session immediately following the session or the successive sessions aforesaid, 
both Houses agree in making any modification in the rule or regulation or both Houses agree that the rule 
or regulation should not be made, the rule or regulation shall thereafter have effect only in such modified 
form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so, however, that any such modification or annulment shall be 
without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that rule or regulation, as the case may 
be. 

(4) Every rule and every regulation, made under this Act by a State Government shall be laid, as soon 

as may be after it is made, before the State Legislature. 

23. Amendment of Act 9 of 1948.—In the Dock Workers (Regulation of Employment) Act, 1948, in 

section 3, in sub-section (2),— 

(a) in clause (g), the words “and welfare” shall be omitted: 

(b) clause (h) shall be omitted. 

24. Repeal.—The Indian Dock Labourers Act, 1934 (19 of 1934), is hereby repealed. 

25.  Savings.—The  Indian  Dock  Labourers  Regulations,  1948  made  under  section  5  of  the  Indian 
Dock Labourers Act, 1934 (19 of 1934) so repealed and the Dock Workers (Safety, Health and Welfare) 
Scheme 1961 made under section 4 of the Dock Workers (Regulation of Employment) Act, 1948  (9 of 
1948) shall be deemed to be regulation framed under this Act and shall be in force unless they are altered 
or repealed under this Act. 

9 

 
