VIJAYAWADA: Union Minister of State for Labour & Employment Shobha Karandlaje underscored the pivotal role of States and Union Territories in ensuring the effective and timely implementation of the four Labour Codes. She described the consolidation of 29 Central labour laws into four Codes as a historic and transformative reform.
Shobha Karandlaje inaugurated a two-day Regional Level Conference of Labour & Employment and Industry Secretaries of States/UTs in Vijayawada on Tuesday.
The conference marked the third in a series of five regional conferences planned by the Ministry at different locations across the country, covering States/UTs and key stakeholders, with the objective to facilitate smooth implementation of the four Labour Codes and deliberating on issues concerning ESIC, EPFO and the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PMVBRY).
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister stated that the Codes promote transparency, simplify compliance and strengthen worker welfare through a balanced and technology-enabled governance framework.
Emphasising cooperative federalism, the Minister called for stronger Centre-State coordination, timely finalisation of Rules, integration of State IT systems with Central portals, capacity building of field-level functionaries, and effective last-mile dissemination.
She also highlighted the expansion of ESIC coverage and employment generation initiatives, including the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana, as key enablers in advancing the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
In his address, Vasamsetti Subhash, Minister of Labour, Government of Andhra Pradesh, stated that the Labour Codes are a significant reform reflecting the spirit of cooperative federalism between the Centre and the States. He said that the deliberations held during the conference, along with earlier regional consultations, would contribute to strengthening the implementation of the Codes.
He emphasised the need for effective coordination between employers and workers.
Senior officers of the Ministry of Labour & Employment, State Governments of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, UT of Puducherry and NCT of Delhi participated in the conference.