Special provisions with respect to certain establishments.

16.(1) Where an establishment is newly set up, whether before or after the commencement of this Act, the employees of such establishment shall be entitled to be paid bonus under this Act in accordance with the provisions of sub-sections (1A), (1B) and (1C).

(1A) In the first five accounting years following the accounting year in which the employer sells the goods produced or manufactured by him or renders services, as the case may be, from such establishment, bonus shall be payable only in respect of the accounting year in which the employer derives profit from such establishment and such bonus shall be calculated in accordance with the provisions of this Act in relation to that year, but without applying the provisions of section 15.

(1B) For the sixth and seventh accounting years following the accounting year in which the employer sells the goods produced or manufactured by him or renders services, as the case may be, from such establishment, the provisions of section 15 shall apply subject to the following modifications, namely :—

(i) for the sixth accounting year—

set on or set off, as the case may be, shall be made in the manner illustrated in the [Fourth Schedule] taking into account the excess or deficiency, if any, as the case may be, of the allocable surplus set on or set off in respect of the fifth and sixth accounting years ;

(ii) for the seventh accounting year—

set on or set off, as the case may be, shall be made in the manner illustrated in the [Fourth Schedule] taking into account the excess or deficiency, if any, as the case may be, of the allocable surplus set on or set off in respect of the fifth, sixth and seventh accounting years.

(1C) From the eighth accounting year following the accounting year in which the employer sells the goods produced or manufactured by him or renders services, as the case may be, from such establishment, the provisions of section 15 shall apply in relation to such establishment as they apply in relation to any other establishment.

Explanation I: For the purpose of sub-section (1), an establishment shall not be deemed to be newly set up merely by reason of a change in its location, management, name or ownership.

Explanation II: For the purpose of sub-section (1A), an employer shall not be deemed to have derived profit in any accounting year unless—

(a) he has made provision for that year’s depreciation to which he is entitled under the Income-tax Act or, as the case may be, under the Agricultural Income-tax law; and

(b) the arrears of such depreciation and losses incurred by him in respect of the establishment for the previous accounting years have been fully set off against his profits.]

Explanation III: For the purposes of sub-sections (1A), (1B) and (1C), sale of the goods produced or manufactured during the course of the trial running of any factory or of the prospecting stage of any mine or any oil-field shall not be taken into consideration and where any question arises with regard to such produc­tion or manufacture, the decision of the appropriate Government, made after giving the parties a reasonable opportunity of representing the case, shall be final and shall not be called in question by any court or other authority.]

(2) The provisions of [sub-sections (1), (1A), (1B) and (1C)] shall, so far as may be, apply to new departments or undertakings or branches set up by existing establishments:

Provided that if an employer in relation to an existing establishment consisting of different departments or undertakings or branches (whether or not in the same industry) set up at different periods has, before the 29th May, 1965, been paying bonus to the employees of all such departments or undertakings or branches irrespective of the date on which such departments or undertakings or branches were set up, on the basis of the consolidated profits computed in respect of all such departments or undertakings or branches, then, such employer shall be liable to pay bonus in accordance with the provisions of this Act to the employees of all such departments or undertakings or branches (whether set up before or after that date) on the basis of the consolidated profits computed as aforesaid.