In a move to promote cashless transaction, the Narendra Modi government decided to bring in an ordinance to amend the Payment of Wages Act for allowing business and industrial establishments to pay salaries through cheques or electronically.

According to a report, employers will also have the option to pay wages in cash. As per practice, the government introduces ordinance to amend laws for immediate implementation of new rules. An ordinance is valid for six months only.

The government is required to get it passed in Parliament within that period. The central government also approved the creation of the Indian Enterprise Development Services (IEDS) in the Office of Development Commissioner, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

The Service has been created by absorbing 11 trades, recruitment to which had been done differently following different rules. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi here. The cabinet also approved re-promulgating ordinance to amend Enemy Property Act- a nearly 50-year-old law to guard against claims of succession or transfer of properties left by people who migrated to Pakistan and China after wars. Once promulgated, it will be for the fifth time the Enemy Property (Amendment) Ordinance will be re-issued. The ordinance will now be sent to the President for his assent.

“The bill was referred to the select committee of the Rajya Sabha as the Congress had pressed for it. We agreed and incorporated recommendations of the committee, still the bill was not allowed to pass,” a senior government functionary said.

Aiming at decongesting the strategically important route connecting the western border, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs today approved doubling of Rajpura-Bhatinda railway line at an estimated cost of Rs 1,251.25 crore. The completion cost of the 172.64 km long railway line is expected to be Rs 1,465.59 cr in five years. The present utilisation of this section is nearly 100 per cent. Enhancement of capacity of power plants and planned freight terminals will generate additional freight traffic on this route.

The CCEA chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi cleared the doubling project which is expected to ease the traffic bottlenecks and will bring more revenue to Indian Railways by capacity enhancement of the route, according to a release.

Source: The Financial Express