Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh today launched an e-labour portal to enable workers to access various services offered by the Labour Department in an easy and hassle-free manner, including direct payment into their bank accounts of benefits under welfare schemes.The portal is an online platform for industries and workers operating in the state to avail the multiple services offered by the Labour Department, under various labour laws, with complete ease.Lauding this pro-worker initiative taken by the Labour Department, Captain Amarinder Singh said the portal would act as a one-stop shop for the workers, and would go a long way in creating a congenial for workers and owners of factories, shops and commercial establishments to work together in a spirit of goodwill and mutual trust for prosperity.Making a presentation on the occasion, Principal Secretary Labour, Sanjay Kumar, informed the Chief Minister that the e-portal was designed by the National Informatics Center (NIC) to ensure strict enforcement of labour laws and safety, health and welfare of the workers. The initiative would also prove to be a boon for the state government to further facilitate the ease of doing business, besides maintaining industrial peace and harmony, in the state, he added.
Elaborating on the portal’s features, the Principal Secretary Labour said it would facilitate online registrations, online application submission through dynamic Common Application Form (CAF), one-time document submission, fee payment in one go through online payment gateway, online processing, time bound approvals (as per RTS Act), third party verification and graphical dashboard for decision makers through this unique e-portal. It would also help in ensuring timely clearances and sending real time alerts through SMS & e-mails. The e-portal also has some special features like vision to view and download inspection reports, filing of annual returns, submission of labour welfare contribution through online payment gateway, option for self-certification scheme and joint inspections by factory wing and labour wing.Benefits under various welfare schemes of the Punjab Labour Welfare Board would now be directly transferred online into the bank accounts of the workers, the Chief Minister was further informed. In order to restrict unnecessary visits of the field officers, the computer generated randomized list of 10% of registered factories to be inspected would be sent to the Labour Commissioner for perusal, which would save a lot of time and energy.
Through this portal, services under various Acts, including the Factories Act, 1948, Punjab Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1958, Contract Labour (R&A) Act, 1970, Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, 1979, Motor Transport Workers Act, 1961, Trade Union Act, 1926, Punjab Labour Welfare Fund Act, 1965, Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, Employees' Compensation Act, 1923, Minimum Wages Act, 1948, Payment of Wages Act, 1936, Payment of Bonus Act, 1965, Punjab Industrial Employment Act, 1965 and Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946, would be provided in a smooth and hassle free manner.Prominent amongst others who were present in the meeting were Media Advisor to CM Raveen Thukral, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Tejveer Singh, Principal Secretary Labour Sanjay Kumar, Labour Commissioner TS Dhaliwal, Director Local Government Kamal Kishore Yadav, Chief Engineer (HQ) AK Singla and Special Secretary Housing & Urban Development TPS Phoolka.