SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Cabinet, held in Sohra on Friday, approved amendments to the Meghalaya Factories Rules, 1980. These changes include permitting women to work night shifts, with higher security measures.
CM Conrad K. Sangma said while stating that this decision aligns with the Government of India’s ease of doing business initiatives, "Previously, women were not allowed to work night shifts. With these amendments, women can now opt to work at night in factories, provided safety measures—such as CCTV surveillance and monitoring systems—are in place. Meghalaya is now the second state in the Northeast, after Assam, to implement this change," he said.
The Cabinet also approved the extension of the factory license renewal period to 10 years. Sangma emphasized that this move is part of the central government's effort to streamline processes for businesses. Regular inspections and monitoring will ensure adherence to these new provisions.
Additionally, the Meghalaya Cabinet approved additional leave of up to six months for government servants undergoing organ transplantation, adding to the existing leave provisions.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma stated, “The cabinet decided that government servants undergoing transplantation of human organs would be given additional leave of up to six months for that particular operation or transplantation to take place. This was over and above the other provisions for leave.”