Nod to factories for 12-hour shift

NT NETWORK

Panaji

The state government on Friday announced a slew of measures to give relief to stakeholders of trade and industries and other establishments involved in economic activities and also to the public to recover from the effect of COVID-19 pandemic.

Addressing the media via web meet, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced various measures including 12 hours working for the factories to cope with the shortage of workers and extension of period for renewal of licences and permits of all construction, town and country planning, transport, excise etc.

The Chief Minister said that in order to help the factories to deal with shortage of workers due to current restrictions, the government has allowed 12 hours working, initially for the period of July 31, 2020.

He said that as a part of initiative towards Ease of Doing Business, the government has introduced a self certification scheme for factories and boilers in the state.

“As per the scheme, the factories shall be inspected only once in a period of five years, instead of annually, with prior intimation,” he said.

Sawant said that to support the factories, the government has extended the validity of factory licences for further one year with deferment of payment of licence fees without interest.

On the Excise front, the chief minister said that the last date for renewal of excise licences has been extended from March 31, 2020 to June 30, 2020 without any penalty.

He also said that all the construction licences and permissions issued by the panchayat and municipal bodies which are expiring between March 1, 2020 and June 30, 2020 are deemed to be extended up to October 31, 2020 without payment of any additional fees.

Further, Sawant informed that all the technical clearances and development permissions which are expiring between March 1, 2020 and June 30, 2020 are deemed to be extended up to October 31, 2020 without payment of any additional fees.

Also, the annual installment towards land lease premium for the financial year 2020-2021 payable to GIDC is deferred and the same can be paid in equated manner in the next 3 years.

Validity of factory licences has been extended for further one year with deferment of payment of licence fees without interest. 

The Chief Minister said that the government is in the process of issuing an ordinance to amend the Factories Act 1948, wherein the existing threshold limit of number of workers for the purpose of applicability of the Factories act will be enhanced from 10 to 20 for factories with the aid of power and from 20 to 40 for factories without the aid of power, adding, “Around 160 factories are likely to benefit from this.”

An Ordinance passed to amend contract labour (regulation and abolition) Act 1970 to relax the registration of establishments /contractors that employed 20 to 50 workmen as contract labour in the previous 12 months.

The measures also include One Time Settlement Scheme covering all the taxation Acts for the assessment period up to year ending March 31, 2016 in case of undisputed assessment and for the assessment period up to year ending June 30, 2017 in case of disputed assessment, 100 per cent of interest and penalty waived off in case of undisputed due, 50 per cent of arrears of tax, interest and /or penalty waived off in case of disputed dues.

The scheme is valid till November 23, 2020. 

Sawant said that all loanees of credit societies are granted 3 months moratorium on payment of EMI for the period April to June 2020, adding, “The late payment surcharge has been waived off for electricity bills issued with due date of payment between March 24, 2020 and June 30, 2020 if the payment is made by July 15, 2020.”

It also includes a moratorium on payment of fixed charges is provided to all industrial and commercial consumers for the bills raised during the period between March 24, 2020 and June 30, 2020 which they can avail if they so desire. These deferred charges shall be recovered in equated manner over next three bills to be raised after June 30, 2020.

It also said that for all the ongoing works the period between March 25, 2020 and June 30, 2020 shall be treated as “Force Majeure” for the purpose of reckoning the date of completion.