Andhra Pradesh raises maximum working hours from 9 to 10 to boost investment
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The TDP-led NDA government in Andhra Pradesh has decided to raise the maximum working hours from nine to 10 per day as part of ease of doing business and attracting investors.The Information and Public Relations (I&PR) Minister K Parthasarathy said that it has been decided to amend labour laws to make them 'favourable' to workers and investors.CPI state secretary K Ramakrishna criticised the move and said NDA governments at the Centre and state are pursuing 'anti worker' policies."Relevant sections of laws which allow maximum nine hours of work a day has now been raised to 10 hours per day. Under Section 55 there used to be one hour rest for five hours (work) now that has been changed to six hours," said Parthasarathy recently, elaborating on the decisions made by the cabinet to amend labour laws.Earlier, Parthasarathy noted that overtime was allowed only up to 75 hours which now has been extended up to 144 hours per quarter."Because of this (amendments to labour laws), investors in factories will (come to our state). These labour rules will be favourable for labourers and they will come to invest more. Globalisation is happening in every state. These amendments were brought to implement global rules," said Parthasarathy.Further, the minister observed that the cabinet has also relaxed night shift rules to enable more women to work in the night shifts.According to the I&PR Minister, women were not allowed to work in the night shifts earlier but now they can work with safeguards such as consent, transport facility, security and surveillance.He said the workplace of women during night shifts should be fully illuminated."When you work extra, income will increase. By these rules women can work in the formal sector. They empower women economically and promote gender inclusion and industrial growth. Also contribute to women's empowerment," he said.Meanwhile, K Ramakrishna, State Secretary of CPI, opposed the NDA alliance government's stand on labour laws amendments. He alleged that the Central and state governments are working against the interests of workers."For the past 11 years, the Modi government has repeatedly taken measures that infringe upon workers' rights in India," Ramakrishan told PTI on Saturday.To oppose these rules, he said trade unions have decided to protest on July 9 all over India, adding that all sections will participate in this protest actively.Further, he observed that the NDA governments both at the Centre and in the state are pursuing 'anti-worker policies'.
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Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Delhi Hardlook: Six months, weekend camps— How scheme to grant ownership in city's unauthorised colonies turned around
'It is a very lengthy process. Log chakkar laga laga ke thak jaate hai (people get tired going again and again to the centres),' says Rajinder Bhola, a resident of Khirki Extension in South Delhi. Bhola was referring to the Centre's ambitious plan to grant property ownership rights in unauthorised colonies, like Khirki, in Delhi. Six years after its launch, the plan had largely flown under the radar, drawing only lukewarm interest. The last six months, however, have sparked new momentum — there has been a surge in the number of applications finally getting the green light. As many as 5,372 residents of unauthorised colonies have got ownership rights to their residences between November 30, 2024, and March 30, 2025, under the PM-UDAY (Pradhan Mantri-Unauthorised Colonies in Delhi Awas Adhikar Yojana); this is out of 5,441 applications received by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) during this period, according to officials in the Lieutenant Governor's office. The DDA had set up single-window camps, where residents could access the registration process at a single location, with officials to assist them. The Indian Express looks at the status of the scheme and what's been holding it back. Tackling unplanned housing Unauthorised colonies are unplanned settlements that have come up in the national capital as a response to a lack of affordable housing and a burgeoning population. These settlements sprout by encroaching on government land or land earmarked for purposes other than residential. Residents of these colonies, thus, don't own the land on which they live. 'These colonies suffer from other inherent problems of haphazard growth, lack of public amenities and social infrastructure, unsafe structures and unhygienic conditions,' according to the DDA. The solution to this was regularisation, which would lead to better provisioning of utilities in unauthorised colonies. Conferring ownership rights on residents will also enable them to transfer and take bank loans against their properties. While Delhi has seen several waves of regularisation of unauthorised colonies since 1961, the process had been halted since 1993. For at least two decades, it has been a long-standing political issue with all political parties promising regularisation. Ahead of the 2020 Delhi elections, the central government announced the launch of PM-UDAY to regularise 1,731 unauthorised colonies; DDA was the nodal agency to implement the scheme. This was different from past attempts at regularisation under which the Delhi government was to coordinate the whole process. The Aam Aadmi Party was in power in Delhi when the BJP-led central government launched PM-UDAY. While details on the exact number of unauthorised colonies and their residents are unavailable, about 50 lakh people stood to benefit from the regularisation of 1,731 colonies. 'Further, conferment of rights opens up a huge possibility of redevelopment,' the DDA said, explaining that it will come out with relaxed development norms in these areas, which will allow builders more built-up area (increase FAR), leading to new development like parks and roads. 'A vision to give ownership rights and ensure that residents of the unauthorised colonies live a life of dignity. A dream to own, a dream for quality life with parks, playgrounds and community facilities. A dream for development,' the DDA website promised to residents. Six years after the scheme was launched in 2019, as of May 24, only 33,299 people have obtained legal ownership rights out of the 1.31 lakh who applied for it, according to a portal on DDA's website. What is behind the slow response? Many have cited the lengthy and complex application procedure as one of the major hurdles. The digital divide is another reason, officials from the L-G office noted. 'The online application process has posed challenges for low-income residents with limited digital literacy or inadequate access to the internet,' an official said. Hiccups & solutions Most owners of houses in unauthorised colonies have a General Power of Attorney (GPA), which is no longer considered a legal ownership document after the Supreme Court in 2019 held that GPAs are not valid modes of property transfer. To get legal ownership of their homes under the PM-UDAY, residents of unauthorised colonies in Delhi first need to: – Register on the DDA portal or app and enter details about themselves and their property. – Next, they must contact a listed agency to conduct a GIS survey (a digital measurement of their property) and collect important documents like old sale agreements, electricity bills, Aadhaar card, etc. – They also have to fill out and notarise two legal forms, called indemnity bonds, and a declaration confirming ownership. – After submitting all documents online, DDA officials visit the home to verify claims. – If the application is approved, the resident pays a fee and then signs a final document called a Conveyance Deed (if the land is private) or an Authorisation Slip (if the land is government-owned). – This document, once registered at the local sub-registrar's office, legally proves that the resident owns the property. Sukrit Nagpal, a consultant at the Indian Institute of Human Settlements (IIHS) who has studied the scheme extensively through fieldwork, says, 'PM-UDAY is a fairly progressive scheme. But DDA should take into account who the scheme is for: the target population comes from extremely heterogeneous backgrounds and has differential capabilities of navigating complex online systems.' Out of the 1.31 lakh who have applied since 2019, around 54,916 applications are pending, indicating that applicants may not have the technological know-how to receive and act on the deficiency memos sent by the DDA. 'The process of applying is very difficult: it's nearly impossible for an average resident to complete the process on their own. Even if they manage to apply, the DDA might respond by notifying them of errors. These notifications are difficult to address and are usually sent via email and SMS, which people often lack the capacity to respond to,' says Nagpal. 'This is where private players enter.' Ranging from property dealers to cyber cafe owners, these private players act as brokers and fixers, helping residents through the online process of registering and applying for conveyance deeds or authorisation slips. 'But these middlemen often disclose additional costs to the residents as the process unfolds and, therefore, end up charging much more than what was initially suggested…,' adds Nagpal. The L-G Office official also notes that the perceived cost burden is yet another reason behind the low response. The cost to regularise a property in unauthorised colonies depends on several factors: the size, whether it's built-up or vacant, the type of land (public or private), and the prevailing circle rate (the government's minimum property valuation). 'Besides, the absence of a fixed timeline or sunset clause for submitting replies to deficiencies has resulted in a lack of urgency among residents of unauthorised colonies to secure ownership rights,' according to L-G Office officials. 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As many as 45,591 people attended the camps, and 5,441 applications were received during this period, out of which 5,372 conveyance deeds or authorisation slips were issued. 'The PM-UDAY single-window camps have effectively addressed many of the key concerns — playing a significant role in driving the scheme's positive outcomes,' an official from the L-G Office says. 'The L-G personally monitored the camps every week. Considering the positive response, we are going to restart these camps,' he adds. Devansh Mittal is a trainee correspondent with The Indian Express. He studied political science at Ashoka University. He can be reached at ... Read More
India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
Initiatives in 11 years boosted prosperity, ensured overall transformation of agriculture: PM Modi
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Time of India
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