Comments sought for amendments to Maternity Benefit (Mines and Circus), Rules 1963

The Union Ministry of Labour and Employment has invited comments on amendments to the Maternity Rules relating to women workers in mines and circuses. These Draft Rules seek to amend the Maternity Benefit (Mines and Circus), Rules 1963 notified under the Maternity benefit Act, 1961.

The interesting point about the Draft Rules is that, if approved in the current form, every employer in every mine and circus across the country, will be required to publish annual returns of the maternity benefits he/she/it provides to its women workers, on the Web Portal of the Ministry of Labour and Employment. This will be an interesting case of compelling private entities to disclose information publicly. If this kind of proactive disclosure is not complied with, an RTI applicant could demand that the concerned authorities access such information from the employers of mines and circuses under Section 2(f) “information” means any material in any form, including records, documents, memos, e-mails, opinions, advices, press releases, circulars, orders, logbooks, contracts, reports, papers, samples, models, data material held in any electronic form and information relating to any private body which can be accessed by a public authority under any other law for the time being in force; of The Right to Information Act, 2005. Of course this Rule, if notified will also apply to mines operated by public sector undertakings. 

Not sure if there are any circuses run by governments. What? "Governments are themselves like a big circus run at the people's expense", did you say? Not sure, I heard you right. One of my ears is blocked due to a bout of bad cold and cough, thanks to the circus that goes on Delhi's roads every day ;-)

Readers might like to circulate this attachment to others who may be interested in sending comments to:  Shri Subhash Kumar, Under Secretary, Room No. 12A, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India, Shram Shakti Bhawan, Rafi Marg, New Delhi - 110 001. The deadine for sending comments is 26th November, 2014.

Venkatesh Nayak