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Agencies:

11 more Central laws implemented in J&K, changes made in 10 state laws

New Delhi
October 7, 2020

The Centre has notified two orders specifying that 11 Central laws will immediately come into effect in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir while nomenclature of 10 state laws will be changed in view of the change of status of the erstwhile state.

In a 136 page notification, the home ministry said the two orders will be called as the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir Re-organization (Adaptation of Central Laws) Second and Third Order, 2020.

The erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into two Union Territories � Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh � on August 5, 2019 through the Jammu and Kashmir Re-organization Act, 2019.

Article 370, which gave special status to the erstwhile state was also abrogated on that day.

Till then, the central laws were not implemented in Jammu and Kashmir unless they were ratified by the state assembly. Besides, there were many state laws which were exclusively applicable only in Jammu and Kashmir.

Among the central laws which will now come into effect in Jammu and Kashmir are: The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Act 2019, The Building and other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act 1996, The Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act 1970, The Factories Act 1948, The Industrial Disputes Act 1947 and The Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act 194.

Other central laws which will also be applicable in the Union territory are: The Motor Transport Workers Act 1961, The Pharmacy Act 1948, The Sales Promotion Employees Act 1976, The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act 2014 and The Trade Unions Act 1926.