Mizoram Revises Fees for Contract Labour Registration and Licensing

The Governor of Mizoram issued a notification on January 28, 2013, introducing the Mizoram Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) (Amendment) Rules, 2012. This instrument, published in the Mizoram Gazette on January 30, 2013, and effective from that date, amended the existing Mizoram Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Rules, 2004. The amendments were enacted in exercise of the powers conferred by section 35(2)(f) of the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970, a central legislation governing contract labour practices. The primary objective of these amendments was to revise various fees associated with the regulation and abolition of contract labour within the state.

The amendments specifically altered Rule 20, Rule 24, Rule 26, and Rule 28 of the Principal Rules. Under the revised Rule 20, the fee for any amendment to a certificate of registration was set at one hundred rupees, in addition to any amount that would have been payable if the certificate had been originally issued in the amended form, minus the fees already paid. Similarly, Rule 28 was substituted to stipulate that the fee for amending a licence would also be one hundred rupees, plus the difference in fees if the licence had been initially issued in the amended form, after deducting the original payment.

A significant change was introduced in Rule 24, which now mandates a security deposit from contractors before a licence is issued. This deposit is calculated at the rate of Rs. 200 for each workman to be employed as contract labour, to be deposited in the local treasury. A specific concession was made for Cooperative Societies, which are required to deposit a reduced amount of Rs. 50 for each workman. Furthermore, Rule 26, which outlines the fees for the grant of a certificate of registration under Section 7 of the parent Act and for the grant or renewal of a licence under Section 12, was entirely substituted. The legislation provided: “The fees to be paid for the grant of certificate of registration under Section 7 shall be as specified below, namely: If the number of workmen proposed to be employed on contract on any day - (a) is not more than 20 - Rs. 500/- (b) exceeds 20, but does not exceed 50 - Rs. 1000/- (c) exceeds 50, but does not exceed 100 - Rs. 2000/- (d) exceeds 100, but does not exceed 200 - Rs. 3000/- (e) exceeds 200, but does not exceed 400 - Rs. 4000/- (f) exceeds 400 - Rs. 6000/-”. Correspondingly, the fees for the grant or renewal of a licence were also revised, ranging from Rs. 250 for up to 20 workmen to Rs. 2500 for over 400 workmen.

The legislative intent behind these amendments was to update and rationalize the financial aspects of regulating contract labour in Mizoram. The earlier legal position, governed by the 2004 Rules, had a different fee structure for registration, licensing, and their subsequent amendments. The revisions addressed potential statutory gaps or limitations in the previous fee schedule, likely aiming to reflect current administrative costs, inflation, and the overall economic landscape. By introducing a tiered fee system based on the number of workmen, the rules sought to create a more equitable and scalable regulatory framework. The specific provision for Cooperative Societies, reducing their security deposit, indicates a policy rationale to encourage and support cooperative models in employment, recognizing their distinct operational structure and social objectives. These amendments directly impact contractors, principal employers, and contract labourers by modifying the financial obligations and regulatory processes involved in their engagement. The changes supersede the prior fee specifications and security deposit requirements outlined in the Principal Rules, thereby establishing a new financial framework for compliance under the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970, within Mizoram.

Keywords: Mizoram, Contract Labour, Regulation, Abolition, Rules, Amendment, Fees, Registration, Licence, Workmen Geo Tags: India, Mizoram District: Not Applicable