Maternity benefit bill to be tabled in LS today

NEW DELHI: After a gap of six months ‘the maternity benefit (amendment ) bill 2016 is finally being listed in the business of Loksabha on Thursday, the opening day of the second half of the crucial budget session.

The bill was passed in the upper house in August 2016 but was not taken up for discussion and passing in the Lok Sabha owing to repeated disruption in the house. The government is hoping before the declaration of the five state assembly poll results, the house to function smoothly. Hence, the bill might get a smooth passage. Union Labour minister, Bandaru Dattatreya, will table the bill for consideration of the house.

The original act provides maternity leave up to 12 weeks for all working women. Now, the amended bill extends this period to 26 weeks. However, women with two or more children will be entitled to only 12 weeks of leave. Also, the Bill introduces maternity leave up to 12 weeks for women who adopts a child below three months of age and for commissioning mothers. The period of maternity leave will be calculated from the date the child is handed over to the adoptive or commissioning mother.

The bill also provides every establishment with more than 50 or more employees to provide for creche3 facilities within a distance near to the mother’s office.the women will be allowed to visit her child four times a day in the creche. Also, the bill states that an employer may permit women to work from home if the nature of work permits her.

World health organisation actually prescribed for 24 weeks of maternity leave which government refused to act on.