NEW DELHI: With the expressed intention of pulling the curtains down on ‘inspector license raj’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled an ambitious labour reform package that would boost his “Make in India’’ plan and also give the labour force quick and easy access to employment saving schemes, such as provident fund.
Stressing on the need for labour reform, the PM said: "The power that Satyamev Jayate has, the same power Shramev Jayate has for the development of our nation."
It was, in fact, a host of labour-related schemes that the PM launched with much fanfare at Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan on Thursday morning envisaging among other things, portable PF accounts and a unified portal for labour inspection at firms and insurance.
Naming the programme Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Shramev Jayate Karyakram, Modi said: "We have to see labour issues from the eyes of the Shramik. We can't see it from the eyes of the industrialists."
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The Labour Ministry organised the programme as part of a day-long conference on labour, employment, health and vocational training ministers of the various state governments.
Labour Ministry officials said that the initiatives which are to be launched are: Unified Labour Portal or 'Shram Suvidha', a transparent and accountable Labour Inspection Scheme, and portability through Universal Account Number—UAN-- for Employees' Provident Fund members.
Also, to be flagged off is an Apprentice Protsahan Yojana and a unique Labour Identification Number (LIN) which will be allotted to factories or industrial units to facilitate online registration. Instead of 16 separate returns, units need to file just one consolidated, self-certified and simplified online return.
The portal will be operated by four Central organisations: Chief Labour Commissioner, Directorate General of Mines Safety, Employees' Provident Fund and Employees' State Insurance Corporation.