ALOK SHARMA,J. - (1.) This miscellaneous appeal under section 30 of the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1923 now the Employee's Compensation Act, 1923 (hereinafter 'the 1923 Act') has been filed against the order dated 10-6- 2002, on the ground that the Employees Compensation Commissioner (hereinafter 'the Commissioner') has overlooked the provision of Section 8 of the 1923 Act and hence committed a fatal legal error.
(2.) Heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the material available on record.
(3.) Section 8 of the 1923 Act reads as under:- "8. Distribution of compensation.- (1) No payment of compensation in respect of an employee whose injury has resulted in death, and no payment of a lump sum as compensation to an employee or a person under a legal disability, shall be made otherwise than by deposit with the Commissioner, and no such payment made directly by an employer shall be deemed to be a payment of compensation: Provided that, in the case of a deceased employee, an employer may make to any dependent advances on account of compensation of an amount equal to three months' wages of such employee and so much of such amount as does exceed the compensation payable to that dependent shall be deducted by the Commissioner from such compensation and repaid to the employer. (2) Any other sum amounting to less than ten rupees which is payable as compensation may be deposited with the Commissioner on behalf of the person entitled thereto. (3) The receipt of the Commissioner shall be a sufficient discharge in respect of any compensation deposited with him. (4) On the deposit of any money under sub-section (1), as compensation in respect of a deceased employee the Commissioner shall, if he thinks necessary, cause notice to be published or to be served on each dependent in such manner as he thinks fit, calling upon the dependents to appear before him on such date as he may fix for determining the distribution of the compensation. If the Commissioner is satisfied after any inquiry which he may deem necessary, that no dependent exists, he shall repay the balance of the money to the employer by whom it was paid. The Commissioner shall, on application by the employer, furnish a statement showing in detail all disbursements made. (5) Compensation deposited in respect of a deceased * [employee] shall, subject to any deduction made under sub-section (4), be apportioned among the dependents of the deceased employee or any of them in such proportion as the Commissioner thinks fit, or may, in the discretion of the Commissioner, be allotted to any one dependent. (6) Where any compensation deposited with the Commissioner is payable to any person, the Commissioner shall, if the person to whom the compensation is payable is a woman or a person under a legal disability, and may, in other cases, pay the money to the person entitled thereto. (7) Where any lump sum deposited with the Commissioner is payable to a woman or a person under a legal disability, such sum may be invested, applied or otherwise dealt with for the benefit of the woman, or of such person during his disability, in such manner as the Commissioner may direct; and where a half-monthly payment is payable to any person under a legal disability, the Commissioner may, of his own motion or on an application made to him in this behalf, order that the payment be made during the disability to any dependent of the employee or to any other person, whom the Commissioner thinks best fitted to provide for the welfare of the employee. (8) Where, on application made to him in this behalf or otherwise, the Commissioner is satisfied that, on account of neglect of children on the part of a parent or on account of the variation of the circumstances of any dependent or for any other sufficient cause, an order of the Commissioner as to the distribution of any sum paid as compensation or as to the manner in which any sum payable to any such dependent is to be invested, applied or otherwise dealt with, ought to be varied, the Commissioner may make such orders for the variation of the former order as he thinks just in the circumstances of the case: Provided that no such order prejudicial to any person shall be made unless such person has been given an opportunity of showing cause why the order should be made, or shall be made in any case in which it would involve the repayment by a dependent of any sum already paid to him. (9) Where the Commissioner varies any order under subsection (8) by reason of the fact that payment of compensation to any person has been obtained by fraud, impersonation or other improper means, any amount so paid to or on behalf of such person may be recovered in the manner hereinafter provided in Section 31.";