Madhya Pradesh govt offers jobs to returning migrants, land ownership to rural population

As lakhs of migrant workers return home to Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, on Thursday, announced an employment scheme to provide work to the returning workers. He said that the government is currently preparing a register of migrants as per their skills and will then provided employment in small, cottage industries or factories, as per requirement. The state is one of the five states - Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh which has seen a heavy inrush of migrants leading to rise in COVID-19 cases. 

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Madhya Pradesh govt offers land ownership

Moreover, the state govt has launched a 'Swamitva scheme' under which survey of the entire rural population will be done to accord land rights to them. Chouhan said that the rights record will be prepared and rural people will be given ownership rights over their plots accordingly. Currently, Madhya Pradesh is under the stringent  Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) making it illegal to protest in workplaces for a period of six months.

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Madhya Pradesh amends labour laws

Uttar Pradesh, under CM Yogi Adityanath, was the first to pass an ordinance suspending all labour laws for three years except -Building and Other Construction Workers' Act, 1996, Workmen Compensation Act, 1923, Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, Part of Payment of Wages Act. Following suit Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat amended its state labour laws while Maharashtra and Karnataka have extended working hours to 10 hours for the next 3 months. Shivraj Chouhan's Madhya Pradesh government has abolished certain labour laws like:

• Industries upto 100 workers can hire as per requirement, no registration for contractors with 50 labourers, No factory inspection for 3 months, no inspection of industries with less than 50 workers and allowed third-party inspection. 
• Increased working hours from 8 to 12 hours, upto 72 hours overtime allowed, allowed shops to function from 6AM to midnight
• Licences to be issued in a day, factory licence renewal once in 10 years, no renewal required for start-ups.

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Several Indian business experts have welcomed the loosening of regulations stating that this move will provide flexibility and urge other states to bring in labour reforms. On the other hand, worker unions have expressed their dissatisfaction, stating that their role will be diminished and want the Centre to intervene. These laws have been sent to the Centre for approval before it comes into force into the respective states and the Congress has urged PM Modi to not approve the change in these laws.

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