J&K showing way on labour reforms: PM’s EAC Chairman

*Reviews implementation of schemes
Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 16: Chairman Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, Dr Bibek Debroy today hailed the Jammu and Kashmir Government for taking the lead in pioneering wide-ranging Labor Law reforms.
“While the whole country currently grapples with the issue of Labour Law reforms, J&K Government has taken the lead and is showing the way to other States by initiating all-inclusive labor reforms,” Dr Debroy told the reporters on the sidelines of a meeting with the officers of the State’s Labour Department here this morning.
Minister for Finance, Labour & Employment, Dr Haseeb A Drabu who was also present in the meeting, informed Dr Debroy about various initiatives taken by the State Government to abridge the Labour Laws, set into motion labour reforms and welfare measures for the workers in the unorganized sector.
Dr Drabu said there are presently around 260 Labour Laws in the State which are being pruned to put in place a Uniform Code on wages, industrial relations, social security and safety and work conditions. He said the plethora of Labour Laws only create difficulties in the implementation and compliance putting the labors to the disadvantage.
Dr Debroy, a noted economist and also a member of the NITI Aayog, said the State Government’s Labour Law reforms are critical to ushering in real ease of doing business in the State, besides, of course, addressing the aspirations of the labour class.
Earlier, Dr Debroy was briefed in detail about the initiatives being taken by the State Government to reform the Labour Laws in the State.
In a separate meeting, Dr Debroy interacted with Minister for Education, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, Minister for Finance, Dr Haseeb Drabu and the Administrative Secretaries of key departments and took a broad view on implementation of Centrally sponsored schemes in the State besides taking account of issues hampering uniform realization of objectives for these schemes.
Wide-ranging discussions were held on various execution modules for these CSS including release of funds, resource availability and allocation, capacity and absorption issues, besides other challenges confronting State Government in their successful implementation.
Chief Secretary BB Vyas, Principal Secretary Finance Navin K Choudhary, Principal Secretary Health and Medical Education Dr Pawan Kotwal, Commissioner Secretary Industries & Commerce, Shailendra Kumar, Commissioner Secretary Public Works, Sanjeev Sharma Commissioner Secretary Power Development Department Hirdesh Kumar, Commissioner Secretary Labour & Employment, Kifayat Hussain Rizvi, Labour Commissioner, Dr Abdul Rashid among other officers were present in the meeting.

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