Conditions for withdrawal for various purposes.

69. [(1) The withdrawal [in connection with expenses on illness as specified in clause (a) of sub-rule (1) of rule 68 or] in connection with expenses on marriages as specified in clause (c) of sub-rule (1) of rule 68, by an employee whose pay exceeds rupees [five thousand] per month, shall not exceed six months' pay or the total of the accumulation of exempted contributions and exempted interest lying to the credit of the employee, whichever is less.

(1A) The withdrawal for the purposes specified in clause (aa) and clause (c) of sub-rule (1) of rule 68, by an employee, whose pay does not exceed rupees [five thousand] per month, shall be subject to the following conditions, namely :—

(a) the amount of withdrawal shall not exceed one-half of the employee's contributions to the fund with interest thereon;

(b) the employee shall have completed seven years of service;

(c) the amount of the employee's contributions to the fund with interest thereon is not less than rupees one thousand.]

(2) The withdrawal for the purpose specified in clause (d) [and clause (dd)] of sub-rule (1) of rule 68 [, by any employee whose pay exceeds rupees [five thousand] per month,] shall be subject to the following conditions:—

(i) the amount of withdrawal shall not exceed one-half of the amount standing to the employee's credit or the actual cost of the house and/or of the site, whichever is less;

[(ii) the employee shall have completed [ten] years of service or is due to retire within the next ten years;]

(iii) the construction of the house should be commenced within six months of the withdrawal and should be completed within one year from the date of the commencement of the construction;

(iv) if the withdrawal is made for the purchase of a house and/or a site for a house, the purchase should be made within six months of the withdrawal;

(v) if the withdrawal is made for the repayment of loan previously raised for the purpose of construction or purchase of a house, the repayment of the loan should be made within three months of the withdrawal;

(vi) where the withdrawal is for the construction of a house, it shall be permitted in two or more equal instalments (not exceeding four), a later instalment being permitted only after verification by the trustees about the actual utilisation of the earlier withdrawal;

(vii) the withdrawal shall be permitted only if the house and/or site is free from encumbrances and no withdrawal shall be permitted for purchasing a share in a joint property or building or house or land whose ownership is divided;

(viii) if the amount withdrawn exceeds the actual cost of the purchase or construction of the house and/or site, or if the amount is not utilised for the purpose for which it is withdrawn, the excess or the whole amount, as the case may be, shall be refunded to the trustees forthwith in one lump sum together with interest from the month of such withdrawal at the rate prescribed in sub-rule (4) of rule 71. The amount refunded shall be credited to the employee's account in the provident fund.

[(2A) The withdrawal for the purpose specified in clause (d) of sub-rule (1) of rule 68, by any employee whose pay does not exceed rupees [five thousand] per month, shall be subject to the following conditions, namely:—

[(i) the amount of withdrawal shall not exceed—

(a) the employee's basic wages and dearness allowance for [thirty-six] months; or

(b) the actual cost of building the house or of purchasing the house or the site or the house and the site; or

(c) the employee's contribution to the fund together with the specified percentage of the employer's contributions to that fund with interest thereon;

whichever is less.

Explanation : For the purposes of sub-clause (c), "specified percentage" means—

(1) 75 per cent of the employee's contribution forming part of the accumulation as on the date of the authorisation of payment, if the period of membership of the employee in the fund is five years or more, but less than ten years;

(2) 85 per cent of such contribution, if the period of membership of the employee in the fund is 10 years or more, but less than 15 years; and

(3) 100 per cent of such contribution, if the period of membership of the employee in the fund is 15 years or more ;]

(ii) the employee shall have completed five years of service or is due to retire within the next ten years;

(iii) the withdrawal shall be permitted only if the house and/or site is free from encumbrances;

(iv) no withdrawal shall be permitted for purchasing a share in a joint property or a building or a house or land whose ownership is divided except where a site is owned jointly with the spouse;

(v) where the withdrawal is for construction of a house, the payment of the withdrawal may be sanctioned in such number of instalments (not exceeding four) as the trustees of the fund think fit;

(vi) where the withdrawal is for the construction of a house, the construction of the house should be commenced within six months of the withdrawal and should be completed within twelve months of the withdrawal of final instalment;

(vii) if the withdrawal is made for the purchase of a house and/or a site for a house, the purchase should be made within six months of the withdrawal;

(viii) if the amount withdrawn exceeds the actual cost of the purchase or construction of the house and/or site or if the amount is not utilised for the purpose for which it is withdrawn, the excess or the whole amount, as the case may be, shall be refunded to the trustees forthwith in one lump sum together with interest from the month of such withdrawal at the rate prescribed in sub-rule (4) of rule 71 and the amount so refunded shall be credited to the employee's account in the fund.]

[(2B) A withdrawal for additions, substantial alterations or improvements necessary to the house owned by the employee or jointly owned by the employee and the spouse may be granted once and in one instalment only to an employee whose pay does not exceed rupees [five thousand] per month, up to [twelve] months' basic wages and dearness allowance or the employee's own share of contribution with interest thereon or the amount standing to his credit in the fund, whichever is less :

Provided that the said withdrawal shall be admissible only after a period of five years from the date of purchase or completion of the house :

Provided further that where the amount withdrawn is not utilised in whole or in part for the purpose for which it was withdrawn, the excess or the whole amount, as the case may be, shall be refunded to the trustees forthwith in one lump sum together with interest from the month of such withdrawal at the rate prescribed in sub-rule (4) of rule 71 and the amount so refunded shall be credited to the employee's account in the fund.

Explanation : For the purposes of sub-rules (2A) and (2B), "pay" includes basic wages with dearness allowance, retaining allowance (if any), and cash value of food concession admissible thereon, to which the employee is entitled at the time when the withdrawal is granted or, in the case of an employee referred to in sub-rule (2) of rule 5 of Part A of the Fourth Schedule, the pay (including increments, if any) which he would have received had he not entered the armed forces of the Union or being taken into or employed in the national service.]

(3) The withdrawal for the purpose specified in clause (f) of sub-rule (1) of rule 68 shall not exceed three months' pay or Rs. 500, whichever is greater, but shall in no case exceed half the amount to the credit of the employee.

(4) The withdrawal for any other purpose referred to in sub-rule (1) of rule 68 [except as provided in sub-rule (1A)] shall not exceed three months' pay or the total of the accumulation of exempted contributions and exempted interest lying to the credit of the employee, whichever is less.

(5) For the purpose of this rule [except sub-rules (2A) and (2B)], "pay" means the pay to which the employee is entitled at the time when the withdrawal is granted or, in the case of an employee referred to in sub-rule (2) of rule 5 of Part A of the Fourth Schedule, the pay (including increments, if any) which he would have received had he not entered the armed forces of the Union or been taken into or employed in the national service.