Overview

• Maharashtra Labour Minister Akash Fundkar announced that private firms operating on land acquired from locals must prioritise hiring community members, especially children of project-affected families.
• Under the state’s industrial policy, local residents are entitled to 50% of supervisory roles and 80% of other positions, with the Labour Department charged with enforcing these quotas.
• The directive spans major industrial zones from Mumbai and Thane to Navi Mumbai, Raigad and the Konkan region, home to over 16,443 factories employing 1.3 million workers.
• Officials have been ordered to conduct immediate safety and environmental inspections of pharmaceutical and chemical companies in Kurkumbh MIDC, with strict penalties for non-compliance.
• The Mantralaya meeting convened legislators, labour commissioners and union representatives to tackle job access for the Koli community and review worker grievances in Pune’s industrial estates.