73. Prohibitory order by Director-General to third party.
(1) Whenever the Director-General shall have made an order under section 69, 69B or 69C against any employer or any person liable for the payment of any sum of money to any employee or subcontractor for labour and the Director-General has reason to believe that there exists between such employer or person liable and any other person a contract in the course of the performance of which the employee or subcontractor performed the work in respect of which the order was made, the Director-General may summon such other person and, if after enquiry he is satisfied that such a contract exists, may make an order in the prescribed form prohibiting him from paying to the employer or person liable and requiring him to pay to the Director-General any money (not exceeding the amount found due to such employee or subcontractor for labour) admitted by him to be owing to the employer or person liable in respect of such contract;
Provided that where such other person admits to the Director-General in writing that money is owing by him under such contract to the employer or person liable he need not be summoned to attend before the Director-General and the Director-General may make such order in his absence.
Provided further that where such other person is liable as a principal under section 33(1) to pay any wages due by the employer or person liable and where the money admitted by him to be owing to the employer or person liable is not sufficient to pay the whole of such wages nothing in this subsection shall relieve him of his liability for the balance of such wages up to the amount for which he is liable under proviso (b) to the said subsection.
(2) The payment of any money in pursuance of an order under subsection (1) shall be a discharge and payment up to the amount so paid of money due to the employer or person liable under the contract.
