The government will introduce a bill in monsoon session of Parliament to make the

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migrant workers and service conditions bill ‘gender neutral’.

On Thursday, union cabinet approved amendment to title of the Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of employment and conditions of service Act), 1979 to ‘Inter -state migrant workers (regulation of employment and conditions of service Act) of 1979.

“A task force constituted for amendment of labour laws concerning women and children, recommended that the title of the Act may be changed in order to make it gender neutral,” an official note said.

The cabinet also approved hiking annual allocation under the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) to Rs 5 crore from Rs 2 crore at present. The MPLADS scheme allows MPs to recommend works for durable public assets like drinking water facilities, education, health, sanitation and for sports activities.

Following the move, net allocation to MPs would involve total expense of Rs 3,950 crore per annum for the exchequer from prevailing Rs 1,580 crore. So far, net allocation of Rs 22,490 crore has been released since inception of the scheme in 1994. Of this, 90.5 per cent of the funds have been utilised so far.

The cabinet also approved implementation of the Special Industry Initiative scheme in Jammu and Kashmir and granted 100 per cent central assistance with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and identified corporate houses.

With an approximate expense for skill development, assessed at Rs 2.5 lakh per candidate and 40,000 youth are likely to be trained over next five years, a total expenditure of Rs 1,000 crore is proposed.

Half of this would be released in the next five years beginning this financial year.