Also read |EPFO UAN Guide: Delink Incorrect Member ID in 7 Steps

The fear was real: the commission’s Terms of Reference (ToR) didn’t explicitly mention pension revision like the 7th CPC did. That omission happened. And then the massive union protests and parliamentary questions followed.

The Official Clarification

The Finance Ministry has formally set the record straight in the Rajya Sabha (Parliament).

• The Mandate is Confirmed: Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary stated unequivocally: “The Eighth CPC will make its recommendations on the various issues including Pay, Allowances, Pension, etc. of the central government employees.”

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• What this means: The pension revision for existing retirees is included in the 8th CPC’s mandate. The absence of the specific, clear language from the 7th CPC’s ToR was an oversight or ambiguity, not a structural policy shift to leave pensioners out.

• Trust Reaffirmed: This confirmation secures the established principle of parity, which ensures older pensioners’ incomes are periodically adjusted to match serving employees.

The Remaining Sticking Point: DA Merger

Even with the pension issue settled, one major demand remains off the table:

• DA/DR Merger: The government’s stance is unchanged. The Minister also clarified that “No proposal regarding merger of the existing Dearness Allowance with the Basic Pay is under consideration at present.”

• This means employees will have to wait for the 8th CPC’s full report (expected late 2027) before any accumulated Dearness Allowance/Relief (DA/DR) is merged with their basic pay.

The core story now is relief for the retirees, even as the push for the DA merger continues.

Also read |EPFO UAN Guide: Delink Incorrect Member ID in 7 Steps

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According to the information received, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off this train next month. This train will not only make the journey to Delhi easy and comfortable for the people of Bihar, but will also set a new record with its excellent facilities and speed.

Vande Bharat is more special than Rajdhani, Amrit Bharat

The Vande Bharat Sleeper train has been designed for a maximum speed of 160 kmph, which makes it different from premium trains like Rajdhani and Amrit Bharat. This train will have premium catering, comfortable sleeper coaches, and state-of-the-art facilities for the passengers. According to a top Railway Board official, the trial run of the train has been successfully completed and it has reached Shakur Basti shed in Delhi. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav will give detailed information about the features of this train next week.

According to sources, the fare of Vande Bharat Sleeper train can be 10 to 15 percent higher than Rajdhani Express, in which dynamic fare system will be applicable. However, the final decision has not been taken regarding the fare and route. In view of the Bihar assembly elections, there is a strong possibility of running this train on the Delhi-Patna route, which will give special benefits to the passengers of Bihar. This train will not only save time, but will also provide a premium travel experience to the passengers.

Railway’s special preparations for the festive season

Earlier, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said that the Railways has made special arrangements for the convenience of lakhs of passengers traveling to and from Bihar during festivals like Diwali and Chhath. This time special trains will be run for two months, so that the return of migrants is easy and convenient. Along with this, the Railways has also started a new pilot scheme, in which up to 20 percent discount will be given on return tickets if the tickets for going and coming together are booked under the round trip package. This facility will be available in all trains and classes from October 13 to December 1, 2025.

The operation of Vande Bharat Sleeper train on Delhi-Patna route reflects the commitment of the Railways towards Bihar. This train will not only reduce the travel time but will also provide a world-class travel experience to the people of Bihar. After trains like Rajdhani and Amrit Bharat, the arrival of Vande Bharat Sleeper will further strengthen the rail connectivity of Bihar, making the journey between Delhi and Patna more smooth and comfortable than ever before.

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A male Government servant (including an apprentice) with less than two surviving children, may be granted Paternity Leave by an authority competent to grant leave for a period of 15 days, during the up to 15 days before, or up to six months from the date of delivery of the child.

During such period of 15 days, he shall be paid leave salary equal to the pay drawn immediately before proceeding on leave. The paternity Leave may be combined with leave of any other kind.

The paternity leave shall not be debited against the leave account. If Paternity Leave is not availed of within the period such leave shall be treated as lapsed.

NOTE:- The Paternity Leave shall not normally be refused under any circumstances.

Paternity Leave for Child Adoption:-

A male Government servant (including an apprentice) with less than two surviving children, on valid adoption of a child below the age of one year may be granted Paternity Leave for a period of 15 days within a period of six months from the date of valid adoption.

During such period of 15 days, he shall be paid leave salary equal to the pay drawn immediately before proceeding on leave. The paternity leave may be combined with leave of any other kind.

The Paternity Leave shall not be debited against the leave account. If Paternity leave is not availed of within the period specified in sub-rule (1) such leave shall be treated as lapsed.

Note:- “Child” for the purpose of this rule will include a child taken as ward by the Government servant, under the Guardians and Wards Act, 1890 or the personal law applicable to that Government servant, provided such a ward lives with the Government servant and is treated as a member of the family and provided such Government servant has, through a special will, conferred upon that ward the same status as that of a natural born child.

Source:- CENTRAL CIVIL SERVICES (LEAVE) RULES, 1972 4[43-A,5[43-AA.

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What to do if employer does not pay salary on time:

Employer must pay interest if salary is delayed: HC

The employer must pay a reasonable interest if a payment, due to the employee, is made late, the Bombay High Court has held.

Whether the service contract of the employee provides for payment of interest is immaterial, said the division bench of Justices Anoop Mohta and C L Pangarkar.

Petitioner Yuvraj N Rodye was working with the Maharashtra State Electricity Board since 1975.

In 1989, Royde became entitled for arrears of salary from August 1975 onwards.

However, for no justifiable reason, the payment was delayed. It was only in September 1994 that he was told to collect his dues.

He received the amount, but applied for getting interest for the period of delay.

It is quite common in India for employers to deny salary to employees, especially at the time of firing them. They think that employee’s have no options or the resources to pursue a case against an employer. In reality, there are several things an employee can do that can land an employer in real trouble. However, the knowledge regarding the same is not available in public domain and lawyer’s advice come costly.

There are several legal process that can be followed by an employee to recover salary or wages. The first step that we recommend is sending a good notice from a credible lawyer  who has a track record of doing such matters. However, before we tell you more about that, let us get you introduced to some basic concepts in Indian labour laws that deal with the issues of non-payment of wages or salary.

India has an entire law on payment of salary called Payment of Wages Act, though it does not apply to all levels of employees. It usually applies to low-wage blue caller workers.

Let’s see what the Payment of Wages Act has to say in this matter.

Section 4 of the payment of wages Act states – 

Fixation of wage period every person responsible for the payment of wages under Section 3 shall fix periods in respect of which such wages shall be payable. No wage period shall exceed one month.

Monthly Salary Distribution Requirements:

• A person is working in an establishment with a wage not more than one thousand, the wage to the particular person shall be paid before the expiry of the seventh day.
• A person with the wage of more than one thousand shall be paid before the expiry of the tenth day.
• If the employee is terminated by the employer the wages earned by him shall be paid before the expiry of the second working day from the day his employment is terminated.

What steps can be taken by employee:

If your employer is not paying your salary, you can get these remedies.

A) Approach Labour Commissioner:

If an employer doesn’t pay up your salary, you can approach the labour commissioner. They will help you to reconcile this matter and if no solution is reached labour commissioner will hand over this matter to the court whereby a case against your employer may be pursued.

B) Industrial Dispute Act:

• An employee can file a suit under Section 33(c) of Industrial Dispute Act, 1947 recovery of money due from an employer.
• When the salary is due from the employer, the employee himself or any other person authorized by him in writing on his behalf can claim recover money.
• In case of the employee death, the authorized person or heirs make an application to the labour court for recovery of money due.
• The court will further issue a certificate on being satisfied that the salary is due and the collector shall proceed to recover the same.
• If any question arises as to the amount of money due or as to the amount at which such benefit should be computed, it would be computed according to rules under this Act.

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Labour Court Time Line:

Cases have to be decided by such labour court within period not exceeding Three Months provided that where the presiding officer of a labour court considers it necessary or expedient so to do, he may for reasons to be recorded in writing, extend such period by such further period as may he think fit. These are few things on What to do if employer does not pay salary on time

What about executives, managers and those who earn above INR 18,000 a month?

If you are manager or executive level employee, you can file a case against the company in the civil court under order 37 of Court of civil procedure. This is faster than the usual slow procedure in civil courts, called a summary suit. It is quite effective, but should not be pursued as a first resort. There are easier things at your disposal as well. Out of 100 cases, maybe 5-7 requires such effort. However, many lawyers are quick to jump to this. Before opting for this, ask your lawyer to exhaust other means.

What if company is not paying with a fraudulent or dishonest intent?

If an employee is affected by the company’s fraudulent activities, then he may seek some strong actions.

The following remedies would be available in such cases:

Employer Fraud Punishment:

• Section 447 of Companies Act, 2013 lays down punishment for fraud.
• Person shall be liable for imprisonment not less than 6 months which may extend to 10 years.
• Fine not less than amount involved in fraud which may extend upto three times of the fraud amount.
• Subsequent measures can be taken under Section 447 of the Act.
• An employee can also file a criminal case against the company under Indian Penal Code.

First Step To recover unpaid salary

Step 1: We strongly recommend sending a legal notice enumerating all the actions that you may take from a credible lawyer. Before going to a lawyer, ensure that they have some track record in doing such work.

Step 2: If this does not work, approaching police for a cheating case, where there is enough evidence for such fraud, is critical. At this stage, it is important to prepare a detailed case file to give to police, and your lawyer should assist you in this. A majority of such complaints are not accepted due to weak drafting and lack of prima facie evidence. This is where a good lawyer can make a lot of difference.

Step 3: Where criminal case is not an option, or does not produce results, we recommend going for a summary suit or labour court, as the case may be. In our experience of handling such matters in large numbers, we can say that not more than 10% of such disputes need to go to this stage if the matter was handled well in earlier stages. Challenge is that lawyers are more comfortable and earns more money at this stage, so if they don’t have your interest in mind they might hurry to this stage.

Important things to keep in mind when you are trying to recover your unpaid salary

The notice is a very important psychological tool, and getting the salary in less time is a psychological game. If the employer understands the consequences quickly, he will settle before you need to go to court, which keeps costs low as well. However, only a few lawyers do this kind of work because it may not be very profitable for them.

There are many cases in India where employer does not pay salary for a month or couple of months and easily get away with the same. A good example is of Kingfisher Airlines. When it shut down its operations, many workers were not paid their dues.

Hope we were able to answer the question What to do if employer does not pay salary on time

Complete story : Employer must pay interest if salary is delayed: Bombay HC

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As an employer or an employee, you have specific obligations to uphold your employment contract. Even if the contract is verbally implied, both employer and employee are bound by that contract. It can be difficult to get out of an employment contract, but there are ways it can be legally done, which saves you from facing a potential lawsuit for breaching the contract.

No, employment bond is not enforceable.

Many people think it is contract and parties are abide by it. But section 27 of indian contract act 1872 says something different.

Employment bonds are employment agreements with negative covenant. Under the Indian Law, the employment agreements with negative covenants is valid and legally enforceable if the parties agree with their free consent i.e. without fraud, coercion, undue influence, mistake and misrepresentation. The Indian courts have held that in the event of a breach of contract by the employee, the employer shall be entitled to recover damages only if a considerable amount of expenditure was borne by the employer. Indian law mandates the employment bonds to be “reasonable” in order to be valid. The term reasonable remains undefined anywhere in the Indian law and therefore the courts have given meaning to “reasonable” depending upon the facts and circumstances of the cases. The proposition which has emerged till now is that conditions stipulated in the contract should be necessary to protect the interest of the employer and compensate the loss caused by breach of contract. Additionally, the penalty or compulsory employment period stipulated should not exorbitant.

How to Challenge the enforceability of Employment Bond?

The validity of Employment bonds can be challenged on the basis of Section27 of the Indian Contract Act. Section 27 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872 prohibits any agreement in restraint of trade and profession. Any agreement in trade and profession according to Section 27 is void.

As per the Section 27, any terms and conditions of an agreement which directly or indirectly compels the employee to serve the employer or puts a restriction on them joining the competitor or other employer is not valid under the Indian law, The employee has right to resign from the employment even if he has agreed in the employment bond to serve the employer for a specific period of time.

For an employment bond to be valid under Indian law, it has to be proved that it is necessary for the freedom of trade. In the case where the employer is able to prove that the employee is joining the competitor to disclose the trade secret then the court may issue an injunction order restricting the employee from joining the competitor. If an agreement is challenged on the grounds of violating the provision relating to restraint of trade, the onus is on the party supporting the contract to show that restraint is reasonably necessary to protect his interests.

Following are the requirements of a valid employment bond agreement.

1. The agreement must be signed by the parties with free consent.
2. The conditions stipulated must be reasonable and:

• The conditions imposed on the employee must be proved to be necessary to safeguard the interest of the employer.

1. The employment bond is to be executed on a stamp paper of appropriate value in order to be valid and enforceable.

Remedies Available to Employer and Employee

If an employment bond is breached, the employer might be entitled to compensation. The compensation awarded should be reasonable to compensate the loss and should not exceed the penalty, if any stipulated in the contract. The court computes the reasonable compensation amount by computing the actual loss incurred by the employer having regard to all facts and circumstances of the case. Even if the bond stipulates payment of any penalty amount in the event of breach, it does not mean that the employer shall be entitled to receive the stipulated amount in full; the courts shall determine the reasonable amount of compensation to be paid. One interesting question arises, whether the employers are entitled to seek for reinstatement of their employee or obtain restraining order against the employee from joining any competitor or another employer? The Supreme Court while dealing with a similar situation has held that specific performance action cannot be sought for breach of contract of personal service or bond and therefore employer shall not be entitled for reinstatement of their employees as relief in the event of breach of bond. We have witnessed the trend that courts are not willing to grant an injunction against the employees restricting their employment with another employer unless it is necessary for the protection of proprietary interests or trade secrets of the employer.

The court considers the actual expenses incurred by the employer, the period of service by the employee, the conditions stipulated in the contract to determine the loss incurred by the employer to arrive at reasonable compensation amount.

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Here is how to register a PF related complain online:

1) Visit EPFO’s website epfigms.gov.in. Click on “Register Grievance” on the top menu bar.

2) A new page will open. Please select the appropriate status from the drop-down menu.

3) Enter details like PF number, name of the office to which the grievance pertains, name of your company and address of your company.

4) Now enter your personal details like name, address, mobile number and email id.

5) In the third section, select the category of complain from the drop-down menu and describe your grievance within 5000 characters.

6) You can also attach PDF documents relating to your grievance. Enter the captcha shown on the screen and submit your grievance.

7) On successful submission of your complaint, a registration number will be generated. Record the registration number for future reference.

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It is not the constitution of the establishment as to whether it is a public limited company, private limited company, cooperative society, partnership or proprietory form that decides the working hours, leaves and other service conditions of the employees but it is the labour laws applicable to the kind of business being transacted that decides these matters.

Different Acts have set out different rules pertaining to hours of work and the spread over of work with slight changes as applicable to the respective state. Shops and Establishments Act being a state Act is confined only to that state whereas the other Acts are central Acts and will be similar in many respect subject to state rules attached thereto.

Laws Lined Up for 2018                   

Enhancement of the gratuity ceiling: The Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 (“Gratuity Act”) entitles employees who have been in continuous employment for a period of 5 years to gratuity at the rate of 15 days wages for every year of continuous service, capped at INR 10,00,000. The Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (“Gratuity Bill”) was introduced in the Lower house of Parliament (Lok Sabha) on December 18, 2017 with a view to allow the Government the discretion to (i) prescribe the gratuity ceiling, and (ii) the period of maternity leave that would deemed to constitute continuous service.  It is anticipated that the Gratuity Bill will be passed by the Lower house in the next session of Parliament and that the ceiling is likely to be enhanced from INR 10,00,000 to INR 20,00,000.

Consolidation of Labour Laws: As part of its election manifesto, the current Government had promised to review the Indian employment laws to reduce the multiplicity of employment legislations and keep the legislations in sync with the requirements of the evolving labour market. In furtherance of the same, the Government has sought to consolidate 44 central employment laws into 4 labour codes:

1. Labour Code on Industrial Relations — Consolidating the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946 and the Trade Unions Act, 1926;
2. Labour Code on Social Security and Welfare — Consolidating social security laws such as the Employees Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, the Employees State Insurance Act, 1948, Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, the Employees Compensation Act, 1923, etc.;
3. Code on Wages — Consolidating the Minimum Wages Act, 1949, the Payment of Wages Act, 1936, Payment of Bonus Act, 1965 and Equal Remuneration Act, 1976; and
4. Labour Code on Occupational Safety, Health & Working Conditions.

The code that is likely to come into effect soon is the Code of Wages, 2017 (“Wage Code”). It is anticipated that the Government was working towards having the Wage Code passed in the lower house (Lok Sabha) of Parliament in the budget session and this might be taken up in the next session of Parliament.

National Employment Policy: The Government of India has proposed the introduction of a National Employment Policy to address the growing rate of unemployment in India. The proposed aim of the National Employment Policy is to create a comprehensive action plan to ensure that quality jobs are created across various sectors. It appears that this would be done by incentivizing employers to hire, by allowing relaxations in employment law compliances or bearing a part of the cost for social security payments.

LGBTIQ Rights: The Supreme Court of India, in its landmark judgment in August 2017, observed that the right to privacy and the protection of sexual orientation lie at the core of the fundamental rights guaranteed by Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the Indian Constitution. Further, the Supreme Court on January 8, 2018, stated that it would review its position on Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, i.e., the criminalization of sexual intercourse between consenting adults of the same sex. With respect to transgender persons, the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016, inter alia, seeks to prohibit the discrimination of transgender persons in terms of employment, healthcare services and access to facilities.

Law Governing Factories: Amendments to the Factories Act, 1948, has been in the pipeline for the past two years. The amendments are primarily aimed at allowing the state government to increase the number of overtime hours that employees can work and prescribe rules in relation to exemptions that could be given to various categories of employees. These measures would allow flexibility to State Governments to undertake initiatives to encourage the development of industries.

Changes to the Law on Contract Labour: The Government has released a draft bill for the amendment of the law governing the engagement of contract labour in India – the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970 (“CLRA”). The bill primarily intends to exclude workers who are regularly employed in the establishment of the contractor from the definition of the term ‘contract labour’ for the purposes of the CLRA.

2018 Budget Proposals to Provident Fund Contributions: The Finance Minister in his 2018 Budget speech has proposed that the Government will make provident fund contributions of 12 percent of wages for new employees for a period of three years and reduce the mandatory contribution limit from 12 percent to 8 percent for women employees for the first three years of employment. We would, however, have to wait for amendments to be made to the Employees Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, and allied schemes, to understand the manner in which these proposals will be implemented.

Most Indian employment laws were drafted primarily for traditional models of workforce engagement in sectors such as manufacturing and infrastructure. These laws are failing to keep pace with the needs of new and emerging sectors that are driven by cutting edge technology, increased automation and creative forms of workforce engagement, including gig/on-call working. While the above reforms are much needed, standing at the threshold of the artificial intelligence revolution, India needs to relook at its employment laws to ensure that businesses are not constrained, innovation and entrepreneurship are encouraged and employee rights are not compromised.

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Even though companies across the world are coming up with people friendly policies, there is always a small section of employees who like to take   advantage of the same. Often employees leave organizations without serving notice in the lure of better chances elsewhere. But this is only a short term advantage. Barring some countries, most good organizations require a ”service or relieving certificate” as proof of employment.

The signed and   stamped ” Letter of Appointment” between and employer and employee is a legally valid document in the court of law. If an appointment letter clearly spells out the conditions of termination and notice, and the employee signs the document, then he/she must abide by the terms. However, most organization have a condition of ”lieu of”. Typically the notice period can be waived ”in lieu of” pay deduction. And most employees exercise that option by negotiating the difference with the other organization. There are always exceptions but no ethical   organization can force an employee to serve the notice unless there is a pressing business need or ”notice pay” refusal from employee or monetary advances provided to the employee.

The Specific Relief Act says that a Contract of Personal Service cannot be enforced in a Court of Law which means that if an employee quits before the Notice period the Employer can only recover the Notice pay. No Employer can force an Employee to complete the Notice period, it is for the employee to complete the Notice period in order to take his full salary and the relieving letter.

You can leave the job by either giving notice or payment in lieu of notice.The Company’s policies and procedures are the supplementary aspects. The constitution of India provides the fundamental right to every person to choose the profession of his choice and any agreement contrary to this is invalid. By putting the clause in service regulation that it is company’s discretion to accept the notice or not is against the provisions of constitution of India. Hence company cannot threaten you by showing this clause. The Company cannot force you to serve the entire notice period.

Also Read:

• How to file Income Tax Returns ( ITR )?

• EPF v/s PPF v/s VPF: Which One is Better?

• HRA Exemption Rules

The post Can Companies Force Employees to Serve Notice Period? first appeared on Rightsofemployees.com.

Where to access PF statement from
At the end of the financial year, the employer shares the PF statement with the employees after receiving them from the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). Even employees of un-exempted organisations can view it by accessing www.epfindia.com or by clicking here. For employees of exempted organisations, the PF statement is made available by the employer generally though the company’s Intranet. The provident fund for the former is managed by a private trust while the latter is managed by the EPFO itself.

Here are few important things that are shown in a PF statement:

Basic details: The PF statement carries the name and address of the establishment along with the establishment ID. You will also find details such as the name of the employee, date of birth, date of joining the organisation, and so on.

PF Account number: The first thing to check on your PF statement is your PF number. For an un-exempted organisation, the PF number is an alphanumeric representing the state, regional office, establishment, and the PF member code. The PF account number is represented differently for exempted organisation and is completely numeric.

Here’s a sample PF number (un-exempted organisation) and what it shows:
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Sample PF number: MH BAN 0057885 000 0000691

* MH represents the state, i.e., Maharashtra

* BAN represents the regional office, i.e., Bandra

* The next 7 numbers, i.e., 0057885 represents the establishment ID

* The next 3 numbers are establishment extension ID. It can be 000 if no extension is provided.

* The last 7 numbers, i.e., 0000691 represents the member (employee) ID.

UAN number: Unlike the PF account number that is generated every time the employee joins a new organisation, universal account number (UAN) is a unique 12 digit number and is mandatory for all employees to have it. All PF numbers, i.e., member IDs will get linked to the UAN. On switching jobs, furnish the UAN to your new employer which helps in managing the PF account better.

Opening balance: The statement will show the opening balance under both the employee – employer columns. The opening balance represents the total of contributions (employee and employer columns) plus the interest earned in the previous financial year.

Monthly contributions: The PF statement/passbook will show the break-up of employee’s and the employer’s month-wise contribution in rupees. The portion that goes towards EPS (Employees’ Pension Scheme) is also shown separately. Even though both employee and employer contribute 12 percent equally, the contributions are not same. Click
here to know why.

Voluntary Provident Fund: An employee is allowed to contribute more than the mandatory 12 percent towards PF, which is shown under the ‘Voluntary Provident Fund’ column. The employee’s voluntary contributions are shown separately. Remember, the employer is not supposed to match VPF contribution and thus may show no figure.

Interest: The interest earned on the employee’s and the employer’s contributions are credited to the PF account once a year. The interest earned is calculated on the monthly running balances in the account. The PF statement will carry the interest rate on which the calculations are based upon as declared by the government.

Withdrawals: Any withdrawals that you have made during the year will also be shown and accounted for accordingly. Click here to know, under which circumstances one can ask for an advance from the EPFO.

Closing balance: The closing balance will represent the total of employee contributions plus interest earned and the total of employer contributions plus interest earned. Such balances will become the opening balance for the next financial year.

epf withdrwal rules

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EPF, VPF and PPF: The Basics

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So what’s the best way to draft salary structures?  To answer this, we’ve put together a table of the common components that make up a salary.  We’ve also added recommended amounts to each component that should assist you in drafting an ideal salary structure.

*Note 1: The PF Employer Contribution also bears additional administrative charges
*Note 2: Feel free to use components like Child Hostel and Child Education; since they are small, we have ignored in our structure

For higher income employees:

• You can use Mobile, Driver Salary, Books and Periodicals and Car Maintenance
• You can set these amounts based on what you think the expenses of that employee would be, keeping in mind the exemption limits for Driver’s Salary and Car Maintenance.

Structuring Salaries is an inevitable task for every HR and Payroll professional. Despite the importance of the activity, professionals are often uninformed of the technical and best practices of a drafting a complete and efficient salary structure.

1) Basic Salary + Dearness allowance

The Basic component is the primary component and the core of the salary structure.  It is usually the largest component of the CTC making up for 40-45% of the total CTC.   The basic plays an important role in defining the salary as other components like Provident Fund, Gratuity and ESIC are dependent on it.

Dearness Allowance (DA) was introduced as part of the salary as a means to reduce the burden of inflation on salaried employees.  This amount is usually set to about 5% of the total CTC and like the Basic component it also has an effect on PF, ESIC etc.

You should keep the following in mind while setting the amounts for Basic and DA:

1. If it’s too high, it will increase the tax liability of the employee since this component is fully taxable. It also affects the liability of the employer since higher contributions would be required for PF, ESIC etc.
2. If it’s too low, then you may not be able to meet the minimum wage norms set by the respective state government. Since minimum wages are updated regularly, you would run the risk of falling below the recommended wage limit.

2) House Rent Allowance (HRA)

The House Rent Allowance, as the name suggests is a component that employees can leverage if they are living in rented accommodations.  The amount that you can claim as tax deduction under HRA cannot be more than 50% of your basic in a metro or 40% of your basic in a non-metro.  Hence, depending on where your workplace is located, this salary component will usually be set at 40% or 50% of the basic salary.

1. When Should Employee declare the amount to get Tax benefit
   At the beginning of new financial year along with your other tax saving plans (like LIC,PPF, Loan , etc), before 25th April’ 2018 employees need to declare their details with their employer for FY 2018-2019.
2. When should Employee submit actual proof to HR     
   
   Usually by the end of the financial year employees need to submit their tax saving documents with their concern HR. Resigned Employee : At the time of Exit employee should ensure to provide their actual tax saving proofs to concern HR before the FnF settlement gets finalised or else excess tax will be recovered from the settlement amount.

3) Leave travel allowance (LTA)

Leave travel allowance (LTA) remunerates employees for their travel within the country.  This component is widely used by employers due to the tax benefits associated with it.  An employee can claim tax benefits for the fare expenses paid for his/her family when they take a holiday.  However, there are restrictions to what you can claim as tax benefits:

1. Only fare expenses are covered: Only the travel fare expenses can be claimed. Stay and food on your trip aren’t covered.
2. Travel must be within India: If you travel to a foreign country, the expenses aren’t tax deductible.  Only travel within the country is covered.
3. What counts as family: Immediate family that are mainly dependant on the employee are covered under LTA.
4. When Should Employee declare the amount to get Tax benefit
   At the beginning of new financial year along with your other tax saving plans (like LIC,PPF, Loan , etc), before 25th April’ 2018 employees need to declare their details under ‘Tax Declaration’ tab enter the Tax Saving Plans for FY 2018-2019.
5. When should Employee submit actual proof to HR 

Usually by the end of the financial year employees need to submit their tax saving documents with their concern HR.Resigned Employee : At the time of Exit employee should ensure to provide their actual tax saving proofs to concern HR before the FnF settlement gets finalised or else excess tax will be recovered from the settlement amount.

4) Conveyance Allowance

Note: With the introduction of standard deduction, exemption on Conveyance allowance has been removed effective April 2018 onwards. Employees don’t need to collect or submit any Conveyance proof.

5) Medical Allowance

Note: With the introduction of standard deduction, exemption on Medical allowance has been removed effective April 2018 onwards. Employees don’t need to collect or submit any Medical proof.

6) Child Education Allowance

This component is paid out towards tuition fees of employees’ children and is tax deductible up to Rs. 100 every month for a maximum of two children. Hence, this amount is usually set to not more than Rs. 2,400 a year for an employee.

1. When Should Employee declare the amount to get Tax benefit
   Provide the count of children to your concern HR, for availing tax benefit on Education Allowance.
2. When should Employee submit actual proof to HR
   Usually by 15th January’ 2019 employees need to submit their tax saving documents with their concern HR.

Resigned Employee : At the time of Exit employee should ensure to provide their actual tax saving proofs to concern HR before the FnF settlement gets finalised or else excess tax will be recovered from the settlement amount.

7) Special Allowance

Special allowance is the balancing component of the salary structure.  It is usually used by organisation as the leftover of the CTC when the rest of the components have been paid out.  This component is fully taxable and is also taken into account for the calculation of Provident Fund.

Deductions:

Deductions are elements of the salary that are part of the CTC but are deducted from the in-hand salary that employees receive. Let’s take a deeper look at some of the most common salary deductions and what they mean.

1) Provident Fund

Provident Fund (PF) is calculated at 12% of Basic + DA + Special Allowance.  The employer and the employee both make an equal contribution of 12% each.  This is applicable to companies who have 20 or more employees on their payroll.   If an employee’s Basic + DA + Special Allowance are less than Rs. 15,000 then it is mandatory for Provident Fund to be deducted.  Other employees can opt out by filling form 11 or can choose to have PF deducted on the ceiling of Rs. 15,000 which would be Rs. 1,800 monthly.

2) Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC)

Deductions towards ESIC are mandatory for employees whose gross salary is not more than Rs. 21,000.  It is only applicable in companies where there are 20 or more employees within the Rs.21,000 gross salary bracket.  Employees have to make a contribution of 1.75% of the gross salary and employers have to make a contribution of 4.75% of the gross salary.

3) Professional Tax

Professional tax is the tax levied by Governments of certain states on salaried employees. The states where professional tax is applicable are Karnataka, Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Odisha, Tripura, Madhya Pradesh, and Sikkim.

The amount of profession Tax that is deducted varies from state to state where they are applicable.

4) Labour Welfare Fund

Labour Welfare Fund, as the name suggests, is a contribution made by salaried employees for the benefit of the labour class.  This contribution is applicable in the states of Karnataka, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Goa, Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana & Madhya Pradesh.

The contribution amount varies from state to state and is relatively small. The employer and the employee both make contributions and the employer pays approximately twice the employee contribution. The payments are made semi-annually in the months of June and December.

Like Professional Tax, Labour Welfare Fund contributions also vary from state to state where they are applicable.

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EPF or employee provident fund withdrawal claims above Rs. 10 lakh don’t have to be filed online. Retirement fund body EPFO or Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation has recently revised some of its rules related to provident fund claims.

The EPFO has nearly six crore subscribers and manages a corpus of about Rs. 10 lakh crore. In a circular dated April 13, EPFO said offline claims will also be accepted in all cases. EPFO subscribers have the option of filing online as well as manual claims for provident fund withdrawals.

EPF Withdrawal – New Rules

“In case the amount of claim settlement is above Rs. 10 lacs for PF claims and Rs. 5 lacs in respect of EPS withdrawal claims, the claim form must be accepted through online mode only,” the retirement fund body said in a circular in February. But in the April 13 circular, EPFO said that this rule will be kept in abeyance.

“Considering the grievances raised by members, this stipulation will be kept in abeyance so that offline claims will also be accepted in all cases,” EPFO said in the April 13 circular.

1) For submitting a withdrawal claim online, subscribers have to first log into EPFO’s member interface using UAN credentials.

2) Select the relevant claim by clicking on the ‘Online Services’ tab.

3) EPFO subscribers can track their claim requests online as well. For this, they can click on the Online Services tab and then ‘Track Claim Status’.

Also Read:

• Delay In PF Claim: How To File A Complaint With EPFO
• How to Sue an Employer for Wrongful Termination ?
• Can Companies Force Employees to Serve Notice Period?
• How to Check Your PF Statemen

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No adult shall be employed or allowed to work about the business of an establishment for more than nine hours on any day or 48 hours in any week and the occupier shall fix the daily periods of work accordingly.

Provided that during any period of stock taking or making of accounts or any other purpose as may be prescribed, any adult employee may be allowed or required to work for more than the hours fixed in this section, but not exceeding 54 hours in any week subject to the conditions that the aggregate hours so worked shall not exceed 150 hours in a year.

Provided further that advance intimation of at least three days in this respect has been given in the prescribed manner to the Chief Inspector and that any person employed on overtime shall be entitled to remuneration for
such overtime work at twice the rate of his normal remuneration calculated by the hour.

Also Read :

• How to Check Your PF Statement
• Can Companies Force Employees to Serve Notice Period?
• How to Sue an Employer for Wrongful Termination ?

The post Working Hours in Office first appeared on Rightsofemployees.com.

For most employees, House Rent Allowance (HRA) is a common component of their salary structure. Although it is a part of the salary, HRA, unlike basic salary, is not fully taxable. Subject to certain conditions, a part of HRAgets exempted under Section 10 (13A) of the Income-tax Act, 1961.

The amount of HRA exemption is deductible from the total income before arriving at a taxable income. This helps the employee save tax. Remember, the HRA received is fully taxable if an employee is living in his own house or if he does not pay any rent.

Who can avail HRA?
The tax benefit is available only to a salaried individual who has the HRA component as part of his salary structure and is staying in a rented accommodation. Self-employed professionals cannot avail the deduction.

Click here to use our HRA Calculator 

How much is exempted?
The exemption for HRA benefit is the minimum of:
i) Actual HRA received

1. ii) 50% of salary if living in metro cities, or 40% for non-metro cities; and
   iii) Excess of rent paid annually over 10% of annual salaryFor calculation purpose, the salary considered is ‘basic salary’. In case ‘Dearness Allowance (DA)’ (if it forms a part of retirementbenefits) and ‘commission received on the basis of sales turnover’ is applicable, they too are added to compute the minimum HRA exemption available.The tax benefit is available to the person only for the period in which the rented house is occupied.Example of HRA calculation
   Let’s say an individual, with a monthly basic salary of Rs 15,000, receives HRA of Rs 7,000 and pays Rs 8,400 rent for an accommodation in a metro city. The tax rate applicable to the individual is 20 percent of his income.

   To avail HRA benefit, the least of the following amount (yearly) is exempted, rest is taxable:
   i) Actual HRA received = Rs 84,000
   ii) 50% of salary (metro city) = Rs 90,000 (50% of Rs 1,80,000)
   iii) Excess of rent paid annually over 10% of annual salary = Rs 82,800 (Rs 1,00,800 – (10% of Rs 1,80,000))

   It shows that of Rs 84,000 actually received as HRA, Rs 82,800 gets tax exemption and only the balance of Rs 1,200 gets added to the employee’s income, on which a tax of Rs 240 ( 20 per cent slab ) gets payable.

   Documents
   HRA exemptions can be availed only on submission of rent receipts or the rent agreement with the house owner.

   It is mandatory for the employee to report the Pan Card of the ‘landlord’ to the employer if the rent paid is more than Rs 1,00,000 annually.

   Special cases
   There could be special scenarios in claiming HRA tax benefit, such as:

   Paying rent to family members
   The rented premises must not be owned by the person claiming the tax exemption. So if you stay with your parents and pay rent to them then you can claim that for tax deductions as HRA. However, you cannot pay rent to your spouse. As, in the view of the relationship, you are supposed to take the accommodation together. Thus, these transactions can invite the scrutiny from the Income -tax Department.
   
   
   
   Even if you are renting the house from your parents, make sure you have documentary evidence as proof that financial transactions regarding your tenancy takes place between you and your parent. So keep a record of banking transactions and rent receipts because your claim can get rejected by the tax department if they are not convinced by the authenticity of the transactions. Recently, there has been an instance in which the HRA claim of a salaried taxpayer was rejected by the Mumbai income tax appellate tribunal because the claim for HRA did not appear genuine to the tax officials.

   Also Read: For tax relief, you need proof of rent paid to kin

   Also Read: 10 things to do so that HRA claim does not get rejected

   2. Own a house, but staying in a different city
   One can avail the simultaneous benefit of deduction available for the home loan against ‘interest paid’ and ‘principal repayment’ and HRA in case your own home is rented out or you work in another city.

   Individuals who don’t get HRA but pay rent
   There may be some employees who might not have HRA component in their salary structure. Also, a non-salaried individual might be paying rent. For them, Section 80 (GG) of the Income-tax Act offers help.

   An individual paying rent for a furnished/unfurnished accommodation can claim the deduction for the rent paid under Section 80 (GG) of the I-T Act, provided he is not paid HRA as a part of his salary by furnishing Form 10B.

   How much
   The least of the following is available for exemption from tax under Section 80GG:
   (i) Rent paid in excess of 10% of total income
   (ii) 25% of the total of the total income*
   (iii) Rs 5,000 per month

   *Under this section, the total income is calculated as gross total income minus long-term capital gains, the short-term capital where Securities Transaction Tax (STT) has been paid and deductions available under Sections 80C to 80U, except Section 80GG.

   Conditions
   While claiming a tax deduction, one must remember that the individual himself or his/her spouse, or minor child, or as a member of the Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) must not own any accommodation. Also, if the individual owns any residential property at any place and earns rent from it then no deduction is allowed.

   One can avail the simultaneous benefit of deduction available for the home loan against ‘interest paid’ and ‘principal repayment’ and HRA in case your own home is rented out or you work in another city. However, the same is not available in case of Section 80GG.

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“Ordinary rate of wages” means the basic wages plus such allowances, including the cash equivalent of the advantage accruing through the concessional sale to workers of foodgrains and other articles, as the worker is for the time being entitled to, but does not include a bonus and wages for overtime work.



Where any workers in a factory are paid on a piece-rate basis, the time
rate shall be deemed to be equivalent to the daily average of their full-time
earnings for the days on which they actually worked on the same or identical job
during the month immediately preceding the calendar month during which the
overtime work was done, and such time rates shall be deemed to be the ordinary
rates of wages of those workers.

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Regular working time may not exceed 40 hours per week.

Where necessary with regard to the nature of the work or the working conditions in general
working time may amount to an average of 40 hours per week for a period of at most four
weeks.
Monday is considered the first day of the week, unless another arrangement is in place at the workplace. on-call time may be claimed up to a maximum of 48 hours per employee over a period of 4 weeks or 50 hours per calendar month. The time during which an employee performs work on behalf of the employer is not considered on-call time.

Overtime

‘Overtime’ means working time in excess of regular working time.

When calculating overtime, compensatory rest periods or other rest periods that are scheduled
during the employee’s regular working time or on-call time shall be treated as regular hours
worked or time spent on call. Act (2000:766).

When there is a special need to increase the number of hours worked, overtime may
be worked up to a maximum of 48 hours per employee over a period of four weeks, or 50
hours over a calendar month, with a maximum of 200 hours over a calendar year(general
overtime)

Overtime in excess of general overtime may be worked up to a maximum of 150
hours per employee over a calendar year if there are special grounds for doing so and no other
reasonable solution has been possible (extra overtime).
Together, extra overtime and general overtime may not exceed 48 hours per employee over aperiod of four weeks, or 50 hours over a calendar month.

Total working time

Section 10b The total working time per every seven day period may amount to an average of
at most 48 hours during a reference period of at most four months. When calculating the total
working time, annual leave and sickness absence during times when the employee would
otherwise have worked shall be treated as hours worked. Act (2011:740)

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The post Payment of Wages Act 1936 first appeared on Rightsofemployees.com.

Details of Amendments and Analysis

The Amendment Act has amended the Principal Act in the following manner:

Amendment of Eligibility Limit

By amending Section 2(13) of the Principal Act, the Amendment Act has now widened the scope of employees eligible for payment of bonus from those drawing salary of INR 10,000 per month, to INR 21,000 per month.

The amendment in the eligibility limit appears to be an initiative which forms a part of the Central Government’s pro-labour policy. Interestingly, the last amendment to the eligibility limit was carried out in the year 2007 and over the past decade, the economy has seen significant reforms. These economic reforms have contributed towards an exponential increase in pay-scales making this amendment to the Principal Act very important to the larger populace of the workforce which earns between INR 10,000 and INR 21,000 per month.

Calculation of Bonus

Taking the demands of the trade unions head on, Section 12 of the Principal Act has been amended to state that where the salary or wage of an employee exceeds INR 7,000 per month or the minimum wage for the scheduled employment, the bonus payable to such employee shall be calculated as if his salary or wage were INR 7,000 per month or the minimum wage for the scheduled employment, whichever is higher.

The Principal Act provided that the bonus payable to an employee shall be in proportion to his/her salary. However, where an employee’s salary was over INR 3,500 per month, for the purposes of calculating bonus, the salary was to be assumed to be INR 3,500 per month. With a view to maximise bonus earnings, the Amendment Act has increased the wage ceiling for calculation to INR 7,000 and has also factored in possibilities where the minimum wage payable to such employees may be over INR 7,000, thereby giving employees the flexibility to draw a higher amount as bonus.

How to calculate bonus liability as an employer?

Your liability depends on a number of factors like:

1. The minimum wages applicable in your state
2. The number of employees with salaries less than Rs. 10,000
3. The number of employees with salaries between Rs. 10,000 – Rs. 21,000
4. The amount of Bonus already paid

We understand that calculating the liability can be a little tricky and we wanted to simplify this process for you.  Hence we’ve created an easy to use calculator that be downloaded by clicking on the link below.

The post Payment Of Bonus (Amendment) Act, 2015 first appeared on Rightsofemployees.com.

What does law say about the pension policy for employees?

In India there is an Act called as The Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1955 which is applicable to all factories and other establishments to which the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 applies. This Scheme is meant for members of the Provident Funds subscribing to Employees’ Provident Fund Scheme, 1952 or any scheme exempted thereunder. The pension policy is introduced as a social policy to the employees to survive their livelihood after the age of retirement. This is a social benefit by which the employees do not need to worry about their sustenance in their later stage of live.

What are the eligibility criteria for availing this facility of pension?

There are two forms of membership availability under the scheme:

• • Membership of the scheme under The Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1955 is compulsory for – All Provident Fund subscribers including those employed in Exempted Establishments contributing to the Employees’ Family Pension Scheme 1971, and – To all new entrants to the Provident Funds Scheme, 1952 from November 16, 1995 onwards, automatically become members of the Employees’ Pension Scheme.

• Membership under the scheme is also available on Optional basis – Existing members of exempted and un-exempted Provident Fund Scheme as on November 15, 1995 who are not members of the Family Pension Scheme, 1971. – Members of the Family Pension Scheme, 1971 who left employment between April 1, 1993 to November 15, 1995 whether they have withdraw their benefits of not. – Beneficiaries of Family Pension Scheme, 1971 who have died on or after April 1, 1993.

What are the benefits available to members under this Scheme?

The benefits that are provided to the members under the Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995 are:

• Pension Payment for life on Retirement/Superannuation.
• Pension Payment for life on invalidation during employment.
• Lump sum amount payment to the member by way of commutation of Pension upto one third pension amount on optional basis.
• Capital return in option formula basis upon cessation of members pension payment.

What are the benefits available to family members upon death of the member?

The benefits that are provided to the family members upon the death of the member are as follows:

• • Payment of pension to spouse for life or until remarriage.
  • Payment of pension to children (two at a time) till they attain the age of 25 years additionally along with pension payment to spouse. For total and permanently.
  • Orphan Pension to children at higher rate upon cessation of Pension Payment to spouse.
  • To Nominee / Dependant parents for life in case member is unmarried or having no eligible family member.

What are the causes of death that are covered under the scheme for members for eligibility for payment of pension after death?

The scheme covers members death risk unconditionally – irrespective of whether such death occurs:

• While in service.
• Away from employment and not contributing to the fund, or
• After retirement as a pensioner.

Is there a provision facilitating benefits for seasonal or casual employees under the scheme?

 There are following provisions that are specified to facilitate the seasonal or casual employees:

• Employees engaged seasonally in any establishment, the period of “actual service” in any year, notwithstanding that such service is less than a year, shall be treated as full year.
• Pensionable salary will be worked out “Notionally” for full month in the event if drawal of salary for a part of the month.
• Pensionary benefits shall be extended to the members without co-relating compliance by the employer of the establishment

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The Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India has, with effect from 1 September 2014, brought into force several important amendments to the schemes framed under the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 (“EPF Act”) i.e. (i) The Employees’ Provident Funds Scheme, 1952 (“PF Scheme”); (ii) The Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995 (“Pension Scheme”); and (iii) The Employees’ Deposit-linked Insurance Scheme, 1976 (“Insurance Scheme”).

Key Amendments

PF Scheme

• • The definition of ‘excluded employee’ has been amended whereby the members drawing wages exceeding INR 15,000 per month are excluded from the provisions of the PF Scheme. Accordingly, the wage ceiling for an employee to be eligible for the PF Scheme has been increased from INR 6,500 per month to INR 15,000 per month.

Pension Scheme

• New members (joining on or after 1 September 2014) drawing wages exceeding INR 15,000 per month shall not be eligible to voluntarily contribute to the Pension Scheme.
• The maximum pensionable salary for the purpose of determining the monthly pension has been revised from INR 6,500 to INR 15,000 per month.
• The pensionable salary shall be calculated on the average monthly pay for the contribution period of the last 60 months (earlier 12 months) preceding the date of exit from the membership.
• The monthly pension for any existing or future member shall not be less than INR 1,000 for the financial year 2014-15.

Insurance Scheme

• The contribution payable under the Insurance Scheme shall now be calculated on a monthly pay of INR 15,000, instead of INR 6,500.
• In the event of death of a member (on or after 1 September 2014), the assurance benefits available under the Insurance Scheme has been increased by twenty percent (20%) in addition to the already admissible benefits.

Implications of the Amendments

The amendments to the three schemes by the Government of India, post the proposal made by the Union Minister of Finance in his Union Budget speech (for the financial year 2014-2015), have enhanced the applicability, scope and benefits provided to employees under the EPF Act. However, at the same time, it has also increased the liability of the employers who would now be responsible to enroll additional eligible employees and to contribute on the increased statutory wage ceiling.

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ESIC scheme was inaugurated in Kanpur on 24^th February 1952 (ESIC Day) by then Prime Minister Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru. The venue was the Brijender Swarup Park, Kanpur and Panditji addressed a 70,000 strong gathering in Hindi in the presence of Pt. Gobind Ballabh Pant, Chief Minister Uttar Pradesh, Babu Jagjivan Ram, Union Labour Minister, Raj Kumari Amrit Kaur, Union Health Minister, Sh.Chandrabhan Gupt, Union Food Minister and Dr.C.L.Katial, the first Director General of ESIC.

ESIC scheme was simultaneously launched at Delhi as well and the initial coverage for both the centers was 1,20,000 employees. Our first Prime Minister was the first honorary insured person of the Scheme.

The Employees’ State Insurance Scheme is an integrated measure of Social Insurance embodied in the Employees’ State Insurance Act and it is designed to accomplish the task of protecting ‘employees‘ as defined in the Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948 against the impact of incidences of sickness, maternity, disablement and death due to employment injury and to provide medical care to insured persons and their families. The ESI Scheme applies to factories and other establishment’s viz. Road Transport, Hotels, Restaurants, Cinemas, Newspaper, Shops, and Educational/Medical Institutions wherein 10 or more persons are employed. However, in some States threshold limit for coverage of establishments is still 20. Employees of the aforesaid categories of factories and establishments, drawing wages upto Rs.15,000/- a month, are entitled to social security cover under the ESI Act. ESI Corporation has also decided to enhance wage ceiling for coverage of employees under the ESI Act from Rs.15,000/- to Rs.21,000/-.

The ESI Scheme is financed by contributions from employers and employees. The rate of contribution by employer is 4.75% of the wages payable to employees. The employees’ contribution is at the rate of 1.75% of the wages payable to an employee. Employees, earning less than Rs. 137/- a day as daily wages, are exempted from payment of their share of contribution.

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The benefits under the Maternity Benefit Act are available to all female employees, who are not covered under the Employees’ State Insurance Act and have worked for a continuous period of 80 days in twelve months immediately preceding the date of her expected delivery.

Maternity benefits act 2017 – This amendment has increased the duration of maternity leave available for women employees from the existing 12 weeks to 26 weeks.

Rs. 3,500 per maternity Current provision of maternity bonus.

A woman shall, on production of such proof as be entitled to leave with wages at the rate of maternity benefit, for a period of six weeks immediately following the day of her miscarriage.

Women employee should be permitted to visit the crèche 4 times during the day, which includes the regular rest interval .

Penalties for contravention of the act by Employers; Imprisonment which shall not be less than three month, which may extend up to one year and with fine not less than two thousand rupees,  which may extend up to five thousand rupees.

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