Latest news with #FactoriesAct
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
LG seeks simplification of business licensing in Delhi
New Delhi: The office of the lieutenant govenor has written to the chief secretary to examine how various sections of two municipal acts, which deal with granting licences to various establishments in MCD and NDMC areas, respectively, can be done away with and the system can be simplified. The letter was sent following a communication from the deregulation cell of the Union Cabinet secretariat, asking LG to cut red tape and bring all permissions required to open a business in the capital under a single-window system. Acknowledging LG's push to ease the licensing framework, the cell advised doing away with health trade, general trade and factory licences issued under Delhi Municipal Corporation Act 1957. These, it said, can be eliminated through a simple notification by LG stating that registration under GST, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) or Factories Act would suffice. Since parts of the city fall under the jurisdiction of New Delhi Municipal Council, the deregulation cell recommended a similar notification under NDMC Act 1994 too. With his communication to chief secretary Dharmendra, LG's principal secretary, Ashish Kundra also shared the letter received from the special secretary in the Cabinet secretariat, KK Pathak, asking the office of the lieutenant governor to roll out reforms to deregulate licensing requirements so that a single-window clearance system can be made to position Delhi as an "investment destination". by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Bai Chay: Unsold Furniture Liquidation 2024 (Prices May Surprise You) Unsold Furniture | Search Ads Learn More Undo You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi The lieutenant governor "has desired that the administrative department concerned may be directed that the matter be examined and draft notifications be submitted for consideration/approval of the competent authority within three days", the communication stated. The deregulation cell recommended that businesses already registered under GST or FSSAI be exempted from registering separately under Shops and Establishment Act, which is administered by Delhi govt's labour department. It also pitched for bringing approvals from FSSAI, GST, Employees' State Insurance Corporation, fire department and Delhi Pollution Control Committee under a single-window system. The cell described these possible measures as "low-hanging fruits" that can be quickly "fructified" through executive orders or notifications, without the need to amend the existing laws. The push came days after LG VK Saxena cleared a proposal withdrawing Delhi Police's powers to issue licences to seven categories of businesses—swimming pools, eateries, hotels, guesthouses, discotheques, video game parlours, amusement parks and auditoriums. Officials said the deregulation cell studied various laws and held rounds of meetings with officers from Delhi govt, MCD, NDMC, DDA, RERA and the Union housing and urban affairs ministry to map the regulatory maze caused by overlapping agency powers. The final recommendations were shaped by these deliberations and by looking at best practices in other states.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- The Hindu
PIL in High Court for speedy investigation and disbursal of compensation to Sigachi victims
A public interest litigation has been filed in the High Court of Telangana seeking directions for expediting investigation into the recent blast at the chemical factory at Pashamylaram on June 30, and payment of compensation to the kin of the victims. The blast resulted in 46 deaths, while eight workers are missing. Retired scientist Kalapala Baburao approached the court, making the Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary, Labour & Employment, special chief secretaries of Disaster Management, Industries & Commerce, Home, Health, Medical & Family Welfare, Chairperson of the Telangana Pollution Control Board, Commissioner of Labour, Sangareddy District Collector and Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of the Sigachi Industries as respondents. Citing a fact-finding mission which the petitioner was a part of, the PIL document said majority of the deceased and injured workers were migrants from States such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, and worked as casual labourers for daily wages ranging between ₹500-750 per head. The petitioner also raised doubts about the number of workers who had attended the duty on the fateful day. While the company maintained that there were only 143 workers, enquiries by the fact finding mission revealed that the number was 163. Attendance registers and the in/out logs maintained by the Security have details about the exact number of workers, but they have been confiscated by the police. While the company has claimed that the traces of eight workers have not been found at the blast site, their disappearance coupled with the stony silence of the company and the police has caused extreme distress to the aggrieved families, the petitioner noted. CC camera footage could reveal if the workers entered the factory on the said day, but it is being deliberately delayed, he alleged. The PIL document said that the company had taken no measures to address the risks of ignition of combustible dust, nor did the inspection and regulatory authorities under the Factories Act, 1948 fulfil their duties of documenting and penalising the absence of safety protocols. This is contrary to the globally recognised standards for mitigating combustible dust risks. Further, Sigachi Industries' Material Safety Data Sheet for Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC) wrongly stated that the product did not present an explosion hazard, ignoring well-established global safety standards that classify their product — Microcrystalline Cellulose — as a combustible dust. This omission has fostered a dangerous complacency, the petitioner alleged. Over nearly 35 years, inspections conducted by the Director of Factories consistently failed to identify MCC as a combustible dust hazard. Despite its widespread industrial use and international recognition as an explosible particulate, no corrective action, risk assessment, or Dust Hazard Analysis (DHA) was mandated or recommended. The petitioner prayed for directions towards constitution of a special investigation team to enquire into the case, payment of compensation in full to the families of the victims, immediate release of the report of the high powered committee announced by the chief minister in the aftermath of the blast, and recognition of the danger posed by industrial dust accumulations under existing factory regulations, among others. Under interim relief, among others, the petitioner sought directions for revealing the exact number of workers on the day of the blast, and declaration of the eight missing workers as deceased.
New Indian Express
6 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Goa Assembly passes bill to extend daily factory work hours to 10, cites 'Ease of Doing Business
PANAJI: The Goa legislative assembly has passed a bill to raise the daily work hour limit in factories from nine to ten to facilitate the 'Ease of Doing Business'. The assembly on Thursday night passed the bill seeking to amend provisions of the Factories Act, to extend daily working hours in factories and increase the permissible limit for overtime work. The Factories (Goa Amendment) Bill was tabled by the State Factories and Boilers Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar on Thursday during the ongoing monsoon session of the House. Through the bill, the government plans to amend section 54 of the Central Act, as applicable to Goa, and enhance the daily limit of working hours for adult workers from the existing nine to ten. It also seeks to amend Section 65 of the Act to raise the maximum overtime permitted in a quarter from 125 to 144 hours. The statement of objects and reasons attached to the bill said that the proposed amendments were aimed at facilitating the 'Ease of Doing Business' by reforming and simplifying regulatory frameworks. 'The amendments will provide greater flexibility in factory operations and align with evolving industrial needs while ensuring compliance with statutory safeguards,' according to the Bill. The government has clarified that the proposed changes do not entail any financial implications. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told the House that the Bill would be referred to the President for assent before it takes effect as law.
Time of India
23-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Bill tabled to let industries boost working hours to 10
Porvorim: Goa govt has introduced an amendment to the Factories Act, 1948, to increase the daily working hours to 10 from the current nine hours, in addition to permitting more overtime hours for employees. Minister for factories and boilers Nilkanth Halarnkar introduced the Factories (Goa Amendment) Bill in the assembly on Wednesday. 'To reform and simplify regulations and procedures to facilitate the ease of doing business, the Factories (Goa Amendment) Bill seeks to amend Section 54 of the Factories Act, 1948, to enhance the daily hours of work from nine hours to ten hours,' Halarnkar said. He said, 'The bill also seeks to amend Section 65 of the act to enhance the total hours of overtime in any quarter from 125 hours to 144 hours.' The bill will come up for a discussion in the coming days. Goa is following in the footsteps of Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh. Meanwhile, the House also passed the Goa Suits Valuation Bill, 2025, with 31 MLAs voting in its favour. The opposition opposed the bill on the grounds that it will increase the cost of litigation in property disputes. The Goa Animal Breeding and Domestication (Regulation and Compensation) Bill, 2025, was also passed by the House. Congress MLA Carlos Ferreira said that the bill will conflict with the Centre's Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules.
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Noida Authority organises camp for entrepreneurs
Noida: The Noida Authority organised a special camp at the Noida Entrepreneurs Association (NEA) office on Wednesday to facilitate the registration of businesses under the Factories Act and issue functional letters to units that lack them. There are around 11,100 industrial units in Noida, of which approximately 9,700 units are functional. Nearly 7,500 industries across the district are currently registered under the Act. Registration under the Act is mandatory for operating any factory. The Act is a key legislation that governs the working conditions of factory workers. You Can Also Check: Noida AQI | Weather in Noida | Bank Holidays in Noida | Public Holidays in Noida A functional letter, on the other hand, serves as an official document certifying that an industrial unit or factory is operational on the allotted plot as per the terms and conditions of the lease. Units that employ fewer than seven persons are required to register under UP Shops & Establishment Act. Vipin Malhan, president of NEA, welcomed the initiative, stating that it was a beneficial move for entrepreneurs. "This camp is intended to help business owners resolve their long-pending issues." Himanshu Kumar, a business owner with a factory in Sector 63, said that he lost several important documents in a theft at his factory a few years ago. "The thief fled with valuables and important documents. Now I need to get all my documents reissued, including the functional letter and registration under the Factory Act," he said.
