Bhubaneswar: State Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi has approved the promulgation of the Factories (Odisha Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, to amend the Factories Act, 1948, in its application to the state.
The amendments are aimed at attracting new investments, giving impetus to industrial development, and creating more employment opportunities in the State.
Since the State Legislative Assembly is not in session, the Ordinance is necessary for immediate implementation under Article 213 of the Constitution of India, and it will be replaced by an Act of the State Legislature in due course.
The proposed Ordinance covers the following seven key amendments:
Daily Work Hours: The State Government may, by notification, extend the daily maximum hours of work up to 10 hours in any day. This is subject to a maximum of 48 hours in any week and requires the written consent of the worker. The remaining days of that week shall be paid holidays.
Intervals: The total number of hours of continuous work for a worker without an interval may be extended up to six hours.
Spread Over: The State Government may increase the spread over, inclusive of intervals for rest, up to 12 hours.
Overtime Wages: Workers shall be entitled to wages at the rate of twice their ordinary rate of wages for overtime work (more than the prescribed daily or weekly hours).
Exemption Conditions: For adult workers granted exemption under section 64, the rules may stipulate that the total number of hours of work in any day shall not exceed twelve, the spread over shall not exceed thirteen hours in any day, and the total number of hours of work in a week, including overtime, shall not exceed sixty.
Overtime Limit: The limit for overtime work is increased from 115 hours to 144 hours during a period of three months (a quarter of a year).
Women Employment: Women shall be entitled to be employed in all factories for all types of work. They may also be employed, with their written consent, before 6 a.m. and beyond 7 p.m., subject to prescribed safety and other conditions.
All these extensions are applicable to all or a group or class of factories on such conditions as the State Government may deem expedient.