Claiming that the Gujarat Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Bill, 2019, will create lakhs of jobs in the state, Purnesh Modi, a BJP MLA, told the state Assembly on Friday that the Bill would help youths get employed as truck drivers, open STD-PCO shops and sell juice on carts. Advertising Speaking in support of the Bill that was tabled by state Labour and Employment Minister Dilipkumar Thakore on Friday, the MLA from Surat said, “I want to go in depth on this issue… Only 10 per cent of the jobs are in the organised sector. The non-organised sector has never been talked about in this House, which I believe comprises 80-90 per cent of the job opportunities.” “The Bill has been brought to facilitate the unorganised sector… The income of businessmen will get doubled. The customer can get access to any products even at night. But the biggest and the most important thing is that lakhs of youths will get employment due to this. Some will drive trucks, some will become drivers, a few will open STD-PCO shops outside hospitals, they will do something or the other, some will sit on juice carts,” said Modi while speaking in Hindi during the discussion on the Bill. He requested the minister to include the data of unorganised sector in the employment data. Drawing comparisons with developed cities around the world, the MLA said, “Those who feel hungry at 2 am will only realise the importance of hotels (remaining open).” Advertising Despite claims from Opposition benches that the Bill will lead to an increase in crime rate in Gujarat and benefit foreign companies, the Bill was passed by a voice vote in the Assembly. The government countered the Opposition, saying it would usher in lakhs of jobs for youths and benefit businessmen and traders. The Bill was the only one that was not passed unanimously on Friday. While tabling the Bill, Thakore said, “Keeping in mind the changing times and society, people need services during both day and night… This Bill allows shops and establishments in municipal corporation areas, at railway stations, on national highways, state transport bus stands, hospitals and petrol pumps to remain open 24X7. Shops in municipalities and state highways can remain open from 6 am to 2 am. Other areas can remain open from 6 am to 11 pm.” The old law was limited to municipal corporation, municipality and areas covered by government notification. This Bill will cover the entire state and all establishments except factories. Shops, hotels, restaurants, cinema houses and places of public entertainment will be covered. The Bill seeks to repeal the Gujarat Shops and Establishments Act, 1948. “Earlier if a shop used to employ even one person, registration was mandatory. Under this Bill, registrations will be mandatory only for those who employ 10 or more employees. Those employing less than 10 employees will have to inform our inspector. It will benefit small shopkeepers,” the minister claimed. “This registration has to be done only once, unlike the old law where registrations had to be renewed every three years. The registrations are for a lifetime and will only need to be changed when the ownership changes or there is an alteration in the type of business,” he said. Establishments can remain open 365 days a year as the old mandatory rules like keeping the establishment shut have been scrapped, he added. The minister also told the House that the provisions of payment of overtime have been raised to 2 times from the 1.5 times in the past. “Overtime of up to 125 hours can be paid to a worker within three months. This was 36 hours earlier,” he said, while adding that the Bill also allows women to work between 7 pm and 6 am. While the minister requested the House to help in the unanimous passage of the Bill, the Congress MLAs opposed and asked it to be rolled back. Lalit Kagathra, Congress MLA from Morbi, said, “I clearly feel that the crime rate will increase 100 per cent due to the Bill… What kind of customer will go to purchase gold, clothes or home appliances after midnight…. I think that the Bill has been brought to shift attention from the unemployment caused after demonetisation.” He said that keeping the shops open after midnight will “misguide” youths many of whom are unemployed. Another Congress MLA Dr Anil Joshiyara also countered saying, “I feel, this will 100 per cent increase inspector Raj, goondaism and I feel that this is an attempt to facilitate entry of foreign companies who work round-the-clock.” The Bill also has provisions of creche facilities for women. Advertising On this, the MLA said: “Do you have a creche in the entire sachivalaya. You say that the women can meet her child every four hours. Does this facility exist here? We have not been able to do it and we expect it from others.”

Stay updated with all the Ahmedabad Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.