The labour ministry will bring in more and more states to the centralised web platform Shram Suvidha portal which provides integrated facility for filing online returns and the uploading of inspection reports without delay. The ministry has constituted a working group to coordinate with the states.
According to the officials, at least 12 states have shown their inclination to join the portal and a couple of others are being convinced to join it. The portal provides facility to employers complying with 16 labour laws.
The government has also undertaken the task of amending 10 laws including Contract Labour Act and Minimum Wages Act to provide the facility of filing online returns for compliance of these laws.
“At least 12 states have shown their inclination for joining the portal. Couple of others are being convinced,” said a senior official. Explaining the problems in getting states on this platform, Labour Secretary Gauri Kumar says that states have to digitise their own data and collate them which is a challenge. They have to make changes in various forms to suit the requirements of the portal, he says.
The portal allots Unique Labour Identification Number (ULIN) to units. It is catering to four major central labour organisations, Office of the Chief Labour Commissioner, Director General of Mines Safety, Employees’ Provident Organization and Employees’ State Insurance Corporation.
Employers get the facility of filling self-certified and simplified returns. Units have to file a single consolidated return instead of separate ones. The online Labour Inspection Scheme has made labour inspection transparent. The inspection reports are uploaded within 72 hours.
About 24,900 inspections were assigned through the portal after its launch and 21,000 reports have been uploaded since then.