The Hindu : Centre nod for labour law amendments

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 12, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Centre nod for labour law amendments

By Our Special Correspondent

Hyderabad March 11. The Union Government has given concurrence to a slew of amendments proposed by the State to the Factories Act and Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act to meet the changing needs.

Announcing this in the Assembly today during question time, the Minister for Labour, P. Babu Mohan, said changes were also proposed to the Industrial Disputes Act and the Trade Unions Act and the Centre's concurrence was still awaited. Responding to a question tabled by G. Appala Suryanarayana and G. Butchaiah Chowdary, both TD, the Minister said, they would bring in bills giving effect to the concurred changes soon.

The amendments concerned would allow women to work in night shifts, ban those aged below 15 years as contract labour and allow the contract labour to work only in non-core areas like cleaning, security, etc.

Drought assistance: A statement made by the Revenue Minister, P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju, that the Centre had released Rs. 13.72 crores so far against Rs. 2,373 crores sought by the State for fighting drought, drew the wrath of the Opposition.

K. R. Suresh Reddy of the Congress took the Government to task for talking very high about its relations with the Centre but failing miserably to get what was due to the State even under trying circumstances. The Minister told him that this small sum was towards agriculture input subsidy.

Mr. Reddy was further angered when the Minister stated that releases by the Centre were pending for want of utilisation certificates from district Collectors. He ridiculed at the Minister's claim that drought relief works were "in full swing,'' wondering whether it was possible when the funds did not come from the Centre.

Training to secretaries: The Panchayat Raj Minister, N. Janardhan Reddy, told G. Ramakrishna Reddy, BJP, and others, that secretaries appointed to village secretariats would be given training on maintenance of records and accounts.

He said a total of 11,000 village secretariats (gram panchayats) lacked own buildings and for the time being, construction was taken up covering about 3,000 of them. A full-fledged effort would be made under 11th Finance Commission funds.

He said "compassionate ground'' appointments would be to fill the vacancies, if any.

Shopping complexes: The Minister for Social Welfare, J. R. Pushpa Raju, said, in reply to a query raised by K. Koteswara Rao, Telugu Desam, that "others'' occupying the shops constructed by the SC Corporation for the benefit of SCs, were being evicted.

He said under a drive, 581 benami occupants were evicted last month alone.

Guthi Koyas: Regarding the perennial problem of Guthi Koyas, the tribe from Chattisgarh that often come to the Bhadrachalam area and create trouble, the Tribal Welfare Minister, M. Manikumari, said they had encroached 63.42 hectares of land in the area so far but cases were booked against them both by the Forest and Revenue Departments.

The Minister said they were coming to the Bhadrachalam area once in 2-3 months for thieving and some times, were settling down with families. During one such attack recently, 200 to 400 bags of foodgrains were stolen. The vulnerable area consisted of 14 villages in Cherla and Chintoor mandals in Khammam district. Steps were being taken to arrest the infiltration.

Hillock removal:The Panchayat Raj Mnister, N. Janardhan Reddy, told K. Pushpaleela, TD, that hillock portion blocing the road to Venkateshwarula Thanda of Dadpalli village near Ibrahimpatnam in Ranga Reddy district was being removed and pucca road laid, both costing Rs. 70 lakhs.

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