Bhubaneswar: In bid to boost industrialization during and post COVID-19 period, Odisha Cabinet today gave its nod to amend industrial laws.
The State Cabinet under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, approved the proposal for amendment of the Factory Act 1948. With this the threshold of workers in power generated industrial units has been increased from 10 to 20.
Similarly, the limit has been increased to 40 from 20 workers in manual labour intensive industrial units.
With this amendment, the women workers can be engaged from 7 pm to 6 am subject to their safety and security.
The Cabinet also approved a proposal for promulgation of an Ordinance for the amendment of Section 1(4) of the Contract Labour (regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970.
After the amendment, the Act will be applicable to every establishment in which 50 or more workmen are employed or were employed on any day of the preceding twelve months as contract labour. As a result, the establishments and contractors employing less than 50 contract labourers will not be required to obtain registration certificate or license.
The Cabinet also approved a proposal to amend Section 172 of the Odisha Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017.