CHENNAI: A Bill was introduced to amend the Tamil Nadu Shops and Establishments Act 1947 to decriminalise offences under the Act by replacing imprisonment and fines with penalties.
To determine the penalties under the Act, the state government may appoint an officer, not below the rank of Joint Commissioner of Labour, to be the adjudicating officer who may hold an inquiry and impose penalties, according to the Bill.
Those aggrieved by an order passed by the adjudicating officer may approach the appellate authority (an officer not below the rank of additional commissioner), appointed by the government by notification. The appeal can be made within 60 days of the date of receipt of the order, as per the bill.
Contravention to provisions of sections 3,7 to 11, 13 to 23, 25, 26, 29 to 41, 47, 47-A and 50-A of the Act will be liable for penalties extending to Rsa 5,000 and Rs 10,000 for a second or subsequent contravention.
This is in line with the ‘Reducing compliance burden’ initiative that is part of the Business Reforms Action Plan 2024, to improve ease of doing business.