Amendment – Karnataka Labour Welfare Fund Act, 1965
Dear All
We write to inform you of a statutory amendment to the Karnataka Labour Welfare Fund Act, 1965, pursuant to the enactment of the Karnataka Labour Welfare Fund (Amendment) Act, 2025, which has been published in the Karnataka Gazette and has come into force with immediate effect.
Key Amendments
The notable changes introduced under the Amendment Act are as follows:
1. Expansion of Applicability
– The threshold for coverage under the Act has been reduced.
– Establishments employing ten (10) or more persons are now covered, in place of the earlier threshold of more than fifty persons.
– This amendment significantly broadens the scope of establishments required to comply with the provisions of the Act.
2. Permitted Modes of Contribution Payment
– Contributions to the Labour Welfare Fund may now be made through *online payment channels, including:
– Net Banking
– National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT)
– Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS)
– Unified Payments Interface (UPI)
– Demand Draft
– This replaces the earlier restriction to cheque or crossed demand draft only.
Effective Date
The Amendment Act has come into force on 7 January 2026, following the Governor’s assent on 6 January 2026, and is applicable with immediate effect.
Action Required
We recommend that you:
– Review your establishment’s workforce strength to determine applicability under the revised threshold.
– Align your compliance and payment procedures with the newly permitted online payment mechanisms.
– Ensure timely adherence to contribution requirements under the amended provisions.
Should you require any clarification, impact assessment, or assistance in implementing compliance measures pursuant to this amendment, please feel free to reach out to us.