Govt approves bill to hike minimum wages

Decision taken at meet chaired by CM

On Saturday, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government approved three bills, including one related to hike in minimum wages, to be re-introduced in the Monsoon Session that had been earlier sent back by the Centre with some objections. The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

“The Cabinet approved three bills that will be reintroduced in the upcoming Assembly session starting from August 8,” a senior government official said.

The Minimum Wages (Delhi) Amendment Bill, 2015, The Delhi (right of citizen to time bound delivery of services) Amendment Bill, 2015, and NSIT Bill (amendment) were among the 14 bills passed by the House. However, the Centre had sent back most of the proposed legislations with some objections.

The four-day Monsoon Session of the Delhi Assembly will begin from August 8. Last month, Mr Kejriwal had directed the law department to submit a “way forward” roadmap on legislative bills which are awaiting clearance from the Centre.

Earlier this year, the then President Pranab Mukherjee had returned Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology Bill (NSIT), which sought university status for the institute, to the Delhi Assembly asking the House to reconsider and amend the bill.

Nine crucial legislations passed by the Delhi Assembly, since the AAP came to power in 2015, have been pending with the Union ministry of home affairs.

These include Delhi Jan Lokpal Bill, 2015, Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (amendment) Act 2015, and the Working Journalists and Other Newspaper Employees (condition of service) Act.

The AAP dispensation has been at loggerheads with the Centre and has repeatedly accused it of blocking key bills to stall the functioning of the Delhi government.