18. Appeal

18. Appeal:-

(1) The Memorandum of appeal under sub-section (7) of section 7 of the Act shall be submitted to the appellate authority with a copy thereof to 18 The Payment of Gratuity (Central) Rules, 1972 Rule 19 the opposite party and the controlling authority either through delivery in person or under registered post acknowledgement due.

(2) The Memorandum of appeal shall contain the facts of the case, the decision of the controlling authority, the grounds of appeal and the relief sought.
(3) There shall be appended to the Memorandum of appeal a certified copy of the finding of the controlling authority and direction for payment of gratuity.
(4) On receipt of the copy of Memorandum of appeal, the controlling authority shall forward records of the case to the appellate authority.
(5) Within 14 days of the receipt of the copy of the Memorandum of appeal, the opposite party shall submit his comments of each paragraph of the Memorandum with additional pleas, if any, to the appellate authority with a copy to the appellant.
(6) The appellate authority shall record its decision after giving the parties to the appeal a reasonable opportunity of being heard. A copy of the decision shall be given to the parties to the appeal and a copy thereof shall be sent to the controlling authority returning his records of the case.
(7) The controlling authority shall, on receipt of the decision of the appellate authority, make necessary entry in the records of the case maintained in Form ‘Q’, under sub-rule (1) of rule 16.
(8) On receipt of the decision of the appellate authority, the controlling authority shall, if required under that decision, modify his direction for payment of gratuity and issue a notice to the employer concerned in Form ‘S’ specifying the modified amount payable and directing payment thereof to the applicant, under intimation to the controlling authority within fifteen days of the receipt of the notice by the employer. A copy of the notice shall be endorsed to the appellant employee, nominee or legal heir, as the case may be and to the appellate authority.