Goa assembly passes bill to increase daily work hour limit in factories from nine to ten
Panaji (PTI): The Goa legislative assembly has passed a bill to raise the daily work hour limit in factories from nine to ten to facilitate the 'Ease of Doing Business'.
The assembly on Thursday night passed the bill seeking to amend provisions of the Factories Act, to extend daily working hours in factories and increase the permissible limit for overtime work.
The Factories (Goa Amendment) Bill was tabled by the State Factories and Boilers Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar on Thursday during the ongoing monsoon session of the House.
Through the bill, the government plans to amend section 54 of the Central Act, as applicable to Goa, and enhance the daily limit of working hours for adult workers from the existing nine to ten.
It also seeks to amend Section 65 of the Act to raise the maximum overtime permitted in a quarter from 125 to 144 hours.
The statement of objects and reasons attached to the bill said that the proposed amendments were aimed at facilitating the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ by reforming and simplifying regulatory frameworks.
“The amendments will provide greater flexibility in factory operations and align with evolving industrial needs while ensuring compliance with statutory safeguards,” according to the Bill.
The government has clarified that the proposed changes do not entail any financial implications.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told the House that the Bill would be referred to the President for assent before it takes effect as law.
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'Someone must be held accountable': HC converts civil suit on Goa nightclub tragedy into PIL
Panaji (PTI): The Bombay High Court on Monday converted a civil suit against Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) saying "someone has to be held accountable" for the tragedy in which 25 people were killed.In a stern observation, Goa bench of the High Court of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ashish Chavan said the local panchayat had "failed to take suo motu cognisance" of the club and had taken "no action despite complaints."
The division bench directed the Goa government to file a detailed reply on the permissions granted to the nightclub.
The High Court, while fixing January 8 as the next date of hearing, pointed out that commercial operations were continuing in the structure despite it having been served a demolition order.
The original petition was filed after the December 6 tragedy by Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar and Sunil Divkar, the owners of the land on which the nightclub was operating.
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Advocate Rohit Bras de Sa, the lawyer representing the petitioner, was made amicus curiae in the matter and has been asked to file a detailed affidavit in the matter.
In their petition, Amonkar and Divkar highlighted "the alarming pattern of statutory violations that have remained inadequately addressed despite multiple complaints, inspections, show-cause notices, and even a demolition order".
They contended that these violations posed "immediate threats to public safety, ecological integrity, and the rule of law in the state of Goa."
Investigations by multiple agencies into the nightclub fire have revealed various irregularities, including lack of permissions to operate the nightclub.
The Goa police arrested five managers and staff members of the club, while co-owners Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra have been detained in Thailand after they fled the country.
