Funds idle, boards defunct, workers unsafe in Gujarat: Report
Ahmedabad: A Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report has reportedly revealed a serious governance failure in Gujarat’s Building and Other Construction Workers’ (BOCW) welfare system, despite the state collecting nearly Rs 4,787.60 crore in construction cess since 2006.
The state has failed to build a transparent and accountable framework to protect the rights and welfare of its vast construction workforce. Critical boards remain defunct, thousands of posts lie vacant, and a staggering 47% of the funds remain in government accounts, as reported by The New Indian Express on Tuesday.
The CAG’s report, tabled in the Gujarat Assembly last week, assessed the implementation of the BOCW Act, 1996, which mandates a three-tier structure: a welfare board, an advisory committee, and a dedicated fund. However, the report highlights systemic neglect in all three areas.
The Gujarat BOCW Board, meant to include representatives from the government, employers, and workers, has been operating with just one member—the Labour Department's Principal Secretary—since November 2017. For five years, key decisions affecting thousands of workers were made without any representation from workers or employers, added the report.
Further compounding the issue, the State Advisory Committee (SAC), required under Section 4(1) of the Act to guide policy, has not been constituted since 2011. In its absence, expert oversight on safety regulations, welfare schemes, and fund allocation has been missing.
Moreover, the Welfare Fund was reportedly never formally set up. Instead, cess collections were diverted into a government account, forcing the Board to rely on irregular grants.
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Ordinance issued to increase number of Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38
New Delhi (PTI): The government has promulgated an ordinance to increase the strength of the Supreme Court from the present 34 judges to 38, including the Chief Justice of India.
The law ministry notified the ordinance on Saturday, which amended the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, to increase the sanctioned strength of the top court.
So far, the sanctioned strength of the top court was 34, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI). Now, the number of judges has been increased by four, taking the sanctioned strength to 38.
The top court will now have 37 judges, other than the CJI.
With the apex court having two vacancies at present, and the ordinance coming into force immediately, the Supreme Court Collegium will now have to recommend six names for appointment as judges in the top court.
A bill will be brought in the Monsoon Session of Parliament to convert the ordinance – an executive order – into a law passed by Parliament.
The Union Cabinet had cleared a draft bill on May 5 to increase the number of apex court judges.
The strength of the Supreme Court was last increased from 30 to 33 (excluding the CJI) in 2019.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, as originally enacted in 1956, put the maximum number of judges (excluding the CJI) at 10.
This number was increased to 13 by the Supreme Court (Number of Judges), Amendment Act, 1960, and to 17 by another amendment to the law.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 1986, augmented the strength of judges from 17 to 25, excluding the CJI.
A fresh amendment in 2009 further increased the strength from 25 to 30.
Article 124(3) of the Constitution lists the qualifications required to become a Supreme Court judge.
An Indian citizen who has either served as a high court judge for at least five years, or as an advocate for 10 years, or is a distinguished jurist, can be appointed to the top court.
The strength of the Supreme Court is increased based on the recommendations of the CJI, who writes to the Union law minister. After consulting the finance ministry, the Department of Justice under the law ministry moves the Cabinet with a draft bill.
