Odisha Assembly Clears Bill Allowing Women’s Night Shifts, Raising Workday To 10 Hours

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Assembly on Wednesday passed a bill paving the way for women to work in night shifts and increasing their daily working hours from nine to 10.

The Odisha Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Bill, 2025 was passed amid a strike by the opposition BJD and Congress.

While introducing the bill, Labor Minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia said that it brings major reforms for small businesses and workplaces.

He said businesses employing up to 20 people would be exempt from the provisions of the 1956 Act, thus reducing the regulatory burden on small businesses.

Clarifying the changes in working hours, Singhkhuntia said that the daily limit will be increased from nine hours to 10 hours while maintaining the weekly limit of 48 hours.

The quarterly overtime ceiling will increase from 50 hours to 144 hours, and employees will be allowed six hours of continuous work followed by a 30-minute break.

The longer overtime limit is beneficial for willing workers to earn more wages (overtime pay is double the regular wages), he said and added that the measures are in line with the recommendations of NITI Aayog and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

The bill also removes the obstacle for women to work night shifts, provided that they give written permission and the employer ensures safety, dignity and welfare measures.

“According to the government, the changes will increase overall productivity, create more employment opportunities, especially for women, and make it easier to do business in the state,” the minister said.

However, BJD and Congress members demanded that the bill be sent to the select committee for detailed scrutiny.

BJD MLA Dhruba Charan Sahoo said: “India and Odisha are a welfare state and are not entirely focused on doing business in every aspect. The welfare of workers should be the priority of the government rather than shop or business owners.�

BJD member Sarada Prasad Jena argued that the proposed increase in working hours contradicts social norms.

According to different Puranas, even Lord Vishnu sleeps for four months in a year. “This shows that a person’s working hours should be limited to 8 hours,” he said.

Opposition MPs also expressed concern about allowing women to work night shifts in an environment where crimes against women are on the rise.

What happened at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata? Sahoo said that even a female doctor was raped and murdered during her night shift (in August 2024).

Defending the law, BJP member Irasish Acharya said it would help increase productivity and create opportunities “for those who want to work hard”.