Bhubaneswar: Odisha Labour Minister Ganesh Ram Singkhuntia on Saturday directed field-level officers of the Labour Directorate to strengthen monitoring, ensure accountability and expedite implementation of key labour welfare initiatives across the state.
Chairing a state-level review meeting of Labour Directorate field officers at the Convention Centre, Lok Seva Bhavan, the Minister reviewed the progress of initiatives relating to child labour, distress migration, construction workers’ welfare, labour infrastructure and delivery of departmental services.
As part of a revised monitoring mechanism, Joint Labour Commissioners (JLCs) will review the performance of Deputy Labour Commissioners (DLCs) and District Labour Officers (DLOs) on the 7th of every month. DLCs will review DLOs on the 4th, while DLOs will assess Assistant Labour Officers (ALOs) and labour inspectors on the 2nd and 17th of each month.
Singkhuntia instructed officers to hold regular review meetings, strengthen district-level supervision and submit progress reports within stipulated timelines.
The meeting also reviewed the special campaign against child labour, being conducted from October 2 to November 14, with the objective of achieving Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s vision of making all Gram Panchayats child labour-free by 2029. The Minister stressed stronger field-level interventions and regular monitoring to ensure effective implementation of the campaign.
Other issues discussed included curbing distress migration, expediting construction of Labour Department offices, effective implementation of the PAReSHRAM Portal and the Odisha Right to Public Services (ORTPS) Act, grievance redressal and the functioning of various labour welfare boards.
The Minister also emphasised that genuine construction workers should receive their entitled welfare benefits and called for intensified worksite inspections to prevent irregularities.
Principal Secretary, Labour and ESI Department, Dodda Venkat Swamy, and Labour Commissioner Indramani Tripathy attended the meeting.
