Odisha Assembly passes three Bills to boost industrial growth

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Assembly on Tuesday approved three bills including the Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2020 to amend the existing law for providing infrastructure facilities to propel investment proposals in the State.

Piloting the Bill, Minister of State for Industries Dibya Shankar Mishra said, “Odisha has emerged as a leading state in implementing the Central schemes like ‘Make in India‘ and ‘Ease of Doing Business’ for industrial growth. The State-run IDCO has to play a pivotal role in implementing the schemes in providing infrastructure facilities for investment proposals.”

He said the amendment aims at effecting changes in the existing laws under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act.Two other Bills – the Factories (Odisha Amendment) Bill, 2020 and Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) (Odisha Amendment Bill, 2020 - moved by Labour Minister Sushant Singh were also passed in the Assembly by voice vote. 

The amendment of the Factory Act 1948 will enable establishments to increase the threshold of workers in power generated industrial units from 10 to 20 and from 20 to 40 in manual labour intensive industrial units. Women workers can also be engaged from 7 pm to 6 am subject to their safety and security.

With the amendment of the Contract Labour (regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970 establishments and contractors employing less than 50 contract labourers will not be required to obtain registration certificate or license. 

Dubbing the BJD and BJP as two sides of a coin, leader of Congress legislature party Narasingha Mishra said the three Bills will serve the interest of capitalists and industrialists. The two parties are only concerned for big industrialists, he said, adding that the State has brought the IDCO Bill at the behest of the BJD led Centre. “The Minister said the Bill is intended for Make in India. He could have said the Bill will give a boost to Make in Odisha”, he remarked.