New Delhi, Feb 7 : The government on Friday assured Rajya Sabha that workers’ interests will not be compromised while framing norms for ease of doing business.
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal told the house during Question Hour that the recommendations of the Baba Kalyani Committee relating to simplification and ease of doing business were being discussed.
“On most of the recommendations, I have personally had more than three meetings with the Baba Kalyani Committee. We have reviewed each of the recommendations. On all those that were administratively possible, we have made an effort to try and resolve as soon as possible, in consultation with the Committee.
“Some required legal and legislative changes which I will bring to the House very shortly…once we have made up our mind considering also that in WTO we are fighting a case in which certain countries have gone against India and our efforts to promote exports through SEZs. As far as the changes that we have already done on the Baba Kalyani Committee report, we believe that it has helped in the ease of doing business,” he told the house.
“I can assure…that our Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always been pro-worker. We have always had extensive consultations with all unions, including CITU, BMS and all others, and the government has had several rounds of discussions and at no point of time will the workers’ interests ever be compromised. I think one must have a healthy debate,” he said.
The minister, however, said there are certain challenges at the international level which one has to recognise and sometimes very tight labour laws become a disincentive to manufacture in India and to create new jobs.
“So, it is something where workers, government and employees will have to work together to find solutions which are in the interest of the country first, and obviously of the workers also. But one must also recognise that the workers are also very keen that there should be new opportunity for jobs, new opportunity for generating economic activity which will give jobs to our young boys and girls for which a little more flexible approach on all sides is required,” he said.
