S.S. Sandhawalia, J. - (1.) WHETHER a sub -contractor is entitled to claim compensation under the provisions of the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1923, is the primary question which falls for determination in this appeal directed against the order of the authority under the Act above -said.
(2.) THE dependants of Nikka Singh deceased had brought the application claiming Rs. 5,000 as compensation on the ground that the latter had died due to an injury suffered in the course of the employment of the Malwa Sugar Factory Dhuri. It was further averred that the death had occurred on the factory premises and Nikka Singh being an employee of the Appellants, they were liable to pay compensation there for. This application was contested on behalf of the Appellants primarily on the ground that there was an absence of the relationship of the employer and the employee between the parties. The specific claim was that the deceased Nikka Singh was not covered by the definition of a workman as given in Section 2(n) of the Act. On the pleadings of the parties the following issues were framed: 1. Whether the Petitioners are entitled to the compensation as claimed by them? 2. Whether the Petitioners are competent to claim this amount? On behalf of the Petitioner -Respondents, the material evidence of A.W. 2 Sukhdev Singh, A.W. 3 Des Raj, A.W. 4 Pritarn Singh and A -W. 6 Bhagwan Kaur, widow of the deceased, was adduced. In rebuttal the Appellants examined Shri B.C. Dhir R.W. 1 and Shri B.R. Bhasin R.W. 2 and produced the copy Exhibit R.W. 2/1. The trial Court considered both the issues together and held that the Petitioners as the dependents of the deceased Nikka Singh were entitled to compensation and assessed the same at Rs. 3,500, only. The solitary contention forcefully advanced by Mr. J.N. Kaushal in support of the appeal is that the deceased Nikka Singh was in fact a sub -contractor who would not fall within the ambit of the definition of a workman under the provisions of the Act qua the Appellants. Consequently it was argued that there existed no liability on the part of the Appellants to pay any compensation to him.
(3.) TO appreciate the argument above -said one may first turn to the pleadings and particularly the application made on behalf of the Respondents themselves. A free translation of the relevant part of para 1 of this application is in the following terms: That seven persons, Nikka Singh son of Sukdev Singh, Pal Singh, Hazura Singh, Inder Singh sons of Mai Singh, Pritam Singh son of Chet Singh, Dev son of Chet Ram and Rup son of Nikka had jointly contracted with Tarsem Lal, a contractor of the Malwa Sugar Factory, Dhuri, on these terms. That loaded wagons of sugarcane were to be brought in by pushing them from within the railway limits up to the place of loading for these wagons and when they became empty they were again to be manually pushed back up to the railway limits. The contract was at the rate of Rs. 2/12/ - per wagon. The above would, therefore, show that it was the case of the Respondents themselves that the deceased along with six others had taken a sub -contract from a contractor of the Appellants, namely, Tarsem Lal. This position seems to be unassailable and is further fortified from what has been expressly elicited in the cross -examination of A.W. 2 Sukhdev Singh who was examined as a witness by the Respondents themselves: I do not know at what rate Tarsem Lal was charging per wagon from the mill authority. We all were charging Rs. 2/12/ - per wagon, not per head. Nikka Singh and others used to earn Rs. 2/8/ - per day to Rs. 4/ - or Rs. 5/ - per day. We all took contract from Tarsem Lal jointly. Finally the trial Court itself on an overall consideration of the evidence arrived at the following finding: Hence as discussed above, it is concluded that Nikka Singh being the sub -contractor died while working in the premises of the Respondent on the weigh -bridge which is the property of the Respondent. From the above it is evident that there is overwhelming evidence and a conclusive finding that Nikka Singh deceased was in fact a joint sub -contractor with six others. This finding has not been and is in fact unassailable. The issue, therefore, is whether a sub -contractor would be entitled to get any compensation from the Appellants under the provisions of the Act. The statute makes provisions primarily for the grant of compensation to workmen as defined therein. The relevant provision is Section 2(n) of the Act which is in the following terms: 2(n) 'workman' means any person (other than a person whose employment is of a casual nature and who is employed otherwise than for the purposes of the employer's trade or business) who is - - (i) * * * * (ii) employed on monthly wages not exceeding four hundred rupees, in any such capacity as is specified in Schedule II, * * * * * * * * The plain language of the statute makes it manifest that a subcontractor is not within the definition above -quoted. Nikka Singh deceased who admittedly was one of the seven joint contractors who had taken a sub -contract from Tarsem Lal would, therefore, not be covered by the definition of the workman and would not be entitled to compensation there under.;