With an aim to boost industrialisation in the post-Covid-19 period, the State Cabinet on Wednesday decided to amend three rules relating to industries.

At a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the Cabinet decided to amend the Factory Act 1948 to increase the threshold of workers in the power-generating industrial units from 10 to 20 while the limit was increased to 40 from 20 workers in manual labour-intensive industrial units.

The industrial units would be allowed to allot overtime working hours during one quarter for 115 hours. Earlier, the limit was 55 hours.

Besides, a proposal for amendment to the Factory Act was approved under which women workers can be engaged from 7 pm to 6 am subject to their safety and security.

The Cabinet approved 20 proposals at its meeting.

It approved a proposal for providing Government guarantee of Rs 1,500 crore for the loans already availed by the GRIDCO during Financial Year 2019-20.

Such guarantee would enable GRIDCO to get about 2 per cent interest concession from the banks, said Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy after the meeting.

The Cabinet also approved a proposal to make some changes in the Group C recruitment procedure amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

No more personal interview would be conducted for the recruitment of Group C posts in the State. Only written tests and skill tests would now be conducted for recruitment to such posts.

As many four drinking water project tenders worth Rs 827 crore were also approved.