Labour and Employment Minister Santosh Gangwar today said government is committed to labour reforms and simplification in the related laws to safeguard workers' interest. Listing a slew of steps to protect workers' interest, Mr Gangwar said provisions have been made in the Employees' Compensation (Amendment) Act, 2017 to increase the penalty for its contravention. <br/><br/>He was addressing a function in New Delhi after presenting 28 Vishwakarma Rashtriya Puraskar and 126 National Safety Awards. Mr. Gangwar said his Ministry is working towards reforms and simplification of labour laws and converting 44 labour laws into 4 simplified codes in accordance with the priorities set by the Narendra Modi government. <br/><br/>Terming it a major step towards simplification of laws and ease of doing business, the minister said technology is used widely for administrative and other reforms so that labour laws could be made rational. <br/><br/>Asserting that workers are backbone of the economy, Mr. Gangwar said minimum wages have been enhanced for all sectors, including agriculture and construction. Besides, the Payment of Bonus Amendment Act has enhanced the bonus eligibility limit from ten thousand rupees to 21 thousand rupees per month.<br/><br/>Labour Minister said the Vishwakarma Diwas also happened to be<br/>the birthday of Prime Minister Modi and under his dynamic leadership, country is poised to become a developed country. In the last three years rapid industrialisation, make in India, skill India, employment generation and sustainable development has been the top priority and agenda of this government.<br/><br/>The minister also flagged off two Audhyogik Surkcha Raths for the creating industial safety and health awareness through training programmes across various industrial clusters in the country over the next three years. <br/>