SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Thursday reviewed the implementation of the four new labour codes in Jammu and Kashmir and directed the concerned departments to complete the remaining formalities for their early rollout.
The review meeting was attended by senior officials, including the Additional Chief Secretary Finance, Commissioner Secretary Law, Secretary Labour and Employment, Labour Commissioner and other officers.
Officials informed the meeting that Jammu and Kashmir has already notified rules under the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020, while rules under the Code on Social Security, 2020 and the Code on Wages, 2019 are in the final stages of notification.
According to the Labour and Employment Department, draft rules under the Social Security Code and Wage Code were pre-published after approval from the Lieutenant Governor and received 27 and five objections respectively. These objections are being examined, and the department aims to submit the rules for final publication within the next 10 days.
Secretary Labour and Employment Kumar Rajeev Ranjan briefed the meeting on the implementation process and said the new framework consolidates 29 existing labour laws into four codes covering industrial relations, workplace safety, social security and wages.
Dulloo directed departments to adhere to prescribed timelines and complete statutory and administrative requirements to ensure smooth implementation of the new framework.
He said the transition should strengthen workers’ welfare and social security while improving transparency, industrial relations and the regulatory environment for businesses.
The Chief Secretary also reviewed preparations for integrating Jammu and Kashmir with the Union government’s Shram Suvidha and Samadhan digital platforms.
Officials said Jammu and Kashmir has conveyed its consent to the Ministry of Labour and Employment for onboarding onto the Shram Suvidha portal and has furnished the required banking details.
The Shram Suvidha portal will provide a single-window system for registration, licensing, annual returns and inspections, while the Samadhan portal will facilitate online registration, tracking and resolution of industrial disputes and grievances.
The meeting was informed that the Ministry of Labour and Employment is currently customising the platforms for integration with Jammu and Kashmir’s compliance systems before their rollout.