Arunachal Pradesh explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Chapters VIII and IX of the Arunachal Pradesh Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Rules, 2022 carry the special provisions: licences for contractors, journey allowance for inter-State migrant workers, audio-visual workers, beedi and cigar premises, plantations and factories, and then offences. This article takes each Part in turn for an employer or contractor in Arunachal Pradesh, with figures exactly as printed.
A contractor applies for a licence in Form XIII and gets it in Form XIV immediately or within seven working days, failing which it is deemed issued (rule 32). No licence is required up to 49 contract labourers, and a bank guarantee of Rupees One thousand for each worker is deposited before the licence issues (rules 35). A factory plan is to be disposed of within ninety days or it is deemed approved (rule 54). An appeal against an enquiry officer's order carries a fee of 25% of the penalty (rule 90).
Which rule set this is
The Arunachal Pradesh Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Rules, 2022, as notified on 1 April 2022 in the Arunachal Pradesh Gazette Extraordinary No. 132 of 2 May 2022. Rule 1(b): "These Rules shall come into force from the date of effect of the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020." The four Labour Codes were brought into force from 21 November 2025. Later amendments and State notifications under these rules should be checked in the State Gazette. The rules supersede, except as respects things done or omitted to be done before such supersession, the State's earlier building workers, contract labour, inter-State migrant workmen and factories rules. Registration, fees, duties and hours are in our sibling article on registration, fees, employer duties, working hours and registers.
If you engage contractors or run a factory, plantation or beedi unit in the State, our labour law compliance service can help you prepare the licence and plan applications.
Part I: contract labour (rules 31 to 43)
Our Central posts on qualification of contractor and conditions of licence, licence application and single licence and renewal and refund of security deposit give the Central position. The State text prints these points.
| Topic | Rule | As printed |
|---|---|---|
| Licence conditions | 31 | Hours and wages follow the Code; where contract workers work at the principal employer's premises, the principal employer provides toilet, washroom, drinking water, bathing facilities if required, changing room, first aid box, canteen and creche; the contractor provides other facilities; intimation of contract work within fifteen days of receiving a work order |
| Application | 32 | Form XIII, online or otherwise; Form XIV licence immediately or within seven working days, else deemed issued and auto generated |
| Single licence | 33 | For supplying contract labour or executing contract work in more than one district or the whole State; valid for five years; copies to the Labour Commissioner |
| Licence conditions | 34 | Non-transferable; workers not above the number in the licence on any day; fees non-refundable save as provided; wages not below rates under the Code, or agreement, settlement or award |
| Bank guarantee | 35(1) | "Rupees One thousand for each of the worker to be employed" |
| Renewal | 36 | Apply at least 30 days before expiry but not before 90 days; same security and fee; 25 per cent additional fee if late; authority renews within seven working days |
| Refund of deposit | 37 | On application with licence copy, completion notice and bank details; disposed of as far as possible within 30 days |
| Work order intimation | 39 | Within fifteen days; show cause notice with up to 15 days; then suspension or cancellation |
| Wage period and payment | 40 | Wage period not above one month; wages before the expiry of the seventh day after the wage period; by bank transfer or electronic mode only |
| Payment from deposit | 41 | After an inquiry, the Labour Commissioner may pay wages from the security deposit; the contractor re-furnishes within fifteen days or the licence is liable to be suspended |
| Experience certificate | 42 | On demand, in Form XV |
| Core activity question | 43 | Form XVI to the Secretary, Labour and Employment; the Labour Commissioner reports within sixty days; the State decides within two months of the report |
Licence fee (rule 35(3)). The fee depends on the number of contract labourers.
| Contract labourers | Fee |
|---|---|
| Up to 49 | No licence is required (Nil) |
| 50 to 100 | Rs. 5000 |
| 101 to 300 | Rs.10000 |
| 301 to 500 | Rs.15000 |
| 501 to 1000 | Rs.20000 |
| 1001 to 5000 | Rs.25000 |
| 5001 to 10000 | Rs.30000 |
| 10001 to 20000 | Rs.35000 |
| 20001 and above | Rs.40000 |
Rule 38 adds that where contractor's workers do the same or similar work as the principal employer's direct workers, the wage rates, holidays, hours and other conditions are the same as for the direct workers, and a dispute whether the work is similar goes to the Inspector-cum-Facilitator, whose decision is final. All contract labour is to be made members of EPFO and ESIC subject to applicability under the Code on Social Security, 2020. Schedule B also prints a separate registration fee table for contract work, covered in our sibling article.
Part II: inter-State migrant workers (rules 44 to 46)
The employer pays a lump sum for the to-and-fro journey fare by train (not less than 2nd Class Sleeper), bus or other applicable mode, on expiry of the period of employment, termination before expiry for any reason, incapacity from injury or continuous ill-health certified by a registered medical practitioner, cessation of work not due to the worker's fault, or resignation for non-fulfilment of the employment terms by the contractor. The worker must have worked "not less than 180 days in the concerned establishment(s) in preceding twelve months", and the allowance is given "once in twelve months". If the worker changes employer and has not taken the allowance, the new employer pays on the worker's certificate once 180 days in the preceding twelve months, including time with the previous employer, are completed. Rule 45 provides that the Labour Department sets up a helpline number without call charges for migrant workers. Our Central post on journey allowance is the Central counterpart.
Part III: audio-visual workers (rule 47)
The agreement between producer and audio-visual worker is in Form XVII and is registered with the Competent Authority notified by the State. The State Government may notify an officer not below the rank of Assistant Labour Commissioner as the Authority. Disputes follow the Industrial Relations Code and its rules.
Part IV: beedi and cigar premises (rules 48 to 50)
| Topic | Rule | As printed |
|---|---|---|
| Application | 48 | Form XIII with site and building plans and proof of fee; renewal in Form XIII with the licence and renewal fee proof |
| Fees | 48(4)(d) | New licence Rs. 5000; renewal Rs. 5000; duplicate licence Rs. 2500 |
| Renewal decision | 48(4)(f) | Renew or refuse within 15 working days of receipt |
| Licence conditions | 48(5) | Processes only in the specified part; employees not above the number specified; no unspecified power driven machinery; no extension or structural alteration without prior written permission; non-transferable |
| Appeal | 49 | Within thirty days; non-refundable fee of Rupees One hundred |
| Work outside premises | 50 | Wetting and cutting of beedi or tobacco leaves outside the premises needs permission on an employer's application in Form XVIII, with the Labour Commissioner forwarding it in seven working days and the Secretary (Labour) deciding within thirty working days; permission in Form XIX |
| Rejection limit | 50(9) | Not more than five per cent of beedi or cigars received from a worker may ordinarily be rejected; rejected items are paid at one-half of the rate |
| Returns | 50(11) | Monthly return in Form XXIII on or before the 10th day of every month and an annual return in Form XXIV on or before the 30th April |
| Home worker records | 50(6), (12) | Register in Form XXI and a home worker's log-book supplied by the employer without charge |
Wages to home workers are paid at their homes where raw material is supplied there, unless an Inspector-cum-Facilitator specifies otherwise. The Central rules are in our post on beedi and cigar premises; the Central audio-visual rules are in audio-visual worker agreement and reference of disputes.
Part V: plantations (rules 51 and 52)
Rule 51 prints a long list of plantation welfare duties. The main figures are as follows.
- Housing (rule 51(1)). Housing accommodation without rent, as near as possible to the place of work, built at least for 20 (twenty) per cent of resident workers every year, within 5 years in all, with a progress report in Form XXV on or before 31 January each year. Houses are lime-washed at least once a year and painted every three years, with a register in Form XXVI. A retained house after death, transfer or termination: not exceeding two months; after retirement or resignation: not exceeding one month.
- Sanitation (rules 51(6) and (7)). One latrine for every fifty acres under cultivation or part thereof, with at least one for each sex; one urinal for every 10 acres or part thereof.
- Creche (rule 51(9)). Where fifty or more women workers are employed, or were employed on any day of the preceding twelve months, for children below six years, with not less than 15 square feet of floor area per child; 250 ml of milk per child per day; two feeding intervals for the mother.
- School (rule 51(10)). A primary school if workers' children between 6 and 12 exceed 25, with one teacher for every forty children.
- Health (rules 51(11) to (16)). Garden Hospital and Group Hospital standards; a lien on beds at 15 beds per 1000 workers or a minimum of 16 beds per 1,000 workers in a Garden Hospital; a plantation of 1,000 or more workers runs its own garden hospital wherever possible; a scheme for medical facilities within six months of commencement of the rules and an annual progress report by 31 January.
- Hazardous chemicals (rule 52). No woman or adolescent worker may handle, store or transport insecticide, pesticide, chemicals or toxic substances; handlers are examined initially and once in every six months, recorded in Form V; precautionary notices are displayed.
Our Central posts on plantation cleanliness and dust and creche facility explain the Central rules.
Part VI: factories (rules 53 to 87)
Plan approval (rule 54). No site may be used, and no building constructed, extended or taken into use as a factory, without previous sanction. The application, online or otherwise, goes to the Inspector-cum-Facilitator of the region "at least fifteen days before" the premises are occupied, with Form XXVII, a process flow diagram, plans to scale, no objection letters from the local authority, the State Pollution Control Board and the Fire Department, a certificate of stability in Form XXVIII and Form XXIX. The certificate of stability is valid for five years. The plan is to be disposed of "within ninety days", failing which plans are deemed approved and the licence is deemed granted. See our Central post on factory cleanliness, ventilation and temperature for the Central working conditions.
Licence (rules 56 to 63). The licence is granted in Form XXXI on payment of fees in Table A, B or C of rule 56. Table A (all factories except power generating stations and electrical sub-stations) depends on installed horse power and the maximum number of workers on any day. For example, a factory with no installed power and up to 20 workers pays Rs 1000, and one with no installed power and above 1000 workers pays Rs 7000; at the other end, a factory with installed power above 1000 and above 1000 workers pays Rs 45000. Tables B and C price electricity generating stations and sub-stations by capacity.
| Topic | Rule | As printed |
|---|---|---|
| Validity | 56(3), (4) | One year; renewable for one year or any period up to ten years |
| Renewal | 58 | Apply on Form XXIX at least thirty days before expiry; fee is the number of years times the one-year fee; 25 per cent extra if late; disposed of within 30 working days or deemed renewed |
| Amendment | 57 | Fee of one thousand Rupees plus any difference in fee; apply at least 15 days before |
| Transfer | 59 | A fee of Rupees One thousand on each application |
| Suspension | 61 | Written intimation before one month of expiry; revival with a surcharge of 25 percent for suspended quarters |
| Change of manager | 63 | Form XXX |
Other factory rules. Rule 66 and Schedule H name 33 dangerous manufacturing processes, from aerated water and electroplating to cold storage using ammonia, which carry their own welfare and protective requirements; the Schedules are not explained here. An Inspector-cum-Facilitator may prohibit employment by written order in a serious hazard; the order has effect for three days unless extended by the Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitator (rule 67). A Site Appraisal Committee under the Industries chair appraises hazardous factory sites (rules 68 and 69). The occupier of a hazardous-process factory prepares Material Safety Data Sheets and a Health and Safety Policy (rules 70 to 76) and arranges medical examination, occupational health centres, an ambulance van and decontamination facilities (rules 77 to 80). A bound Inspection Book of at least 180 sheets is kept, with Form XXVII posted up to date and Form XXIX filled every year or on change of manager or employer (rule 87).
Offences (Chapter IX, rules 88 to 91)
- Compounding (rule 88). The Compounding Officer issues a notice; the person noticed applies and deposits the entire amount "within fifteen days of the receipt of the notice"; a composition certificate follows within ten days of receipt. No prosecution is instituted without giving the employer an opportunity to comply, subject to the proviso to section 110(1) and compounding under section 114. The Central rule is in our post on manner of compounding of offences.
- Enquiry (rule 89). A gazetted officer not below the rank of Under Secretary holds the enquiry and imposes penalty; see manner of holding enquiry.
- Appeal (rule 90). Within thirty days of the order, electronically or otherwise, with a fee "@ 25% of penalty imposed", to an Appellate Authority not below the rank of Joint Secretary.
The Code's penalty provisions apply; the rules print no fine of their own.
A worked example
Dirang Fruit Processing, an invented firm, wants to use a contractor supplying 120 workers. The contractor needs a licence because the number exceeds 49. The fee for 101 to 300 is Rs.10000, and the bank guarantee is Rupees One thousand for each of the 120 workers. The contractor applies in Form XIII, intimates the work order within fifteen days, and pays wages by bank transfer before the seventh day after the wage period ends.
Common lapses
- Operating with contract labour above 49 without a licence.
- Paying contract wages in cash instead of by bank transfer or electronic mode.
- Omitting to re-furnish the security deposit within fifteen days after wages are paid from it.
- Applying for factory licence renewal less than thirty days before expiry and paying the 25 per cent addition.
- Filing the beedi monthly return after the 10th.
Need help with licences and plans?
A contractor licence, a plantation scheme and a factory plan each carry their own forms and deemed-approval clocks. Our labour law compliance team can prepare the applications, track the deadlines and review your conditions of licence.
Key takeaways
- Contract labour licence: Form XIII, deemed issued after seven working days; no licence up to 49 workers; bank guarantee Rupees One thousand per worker.
- Contract wages are paid by bank transfer or electronic mode before the seventh day after the wage period.
- Migrant worker journey allowance needs 180 days in the preceding twelve months and is given once in twelve months.
- Factory plan: deemed approved after ninety days; licence valid one year, renewable for up to ten years.
- Appeal on a penalty order carries a fee of 25% of the penalty.
Read next
- Arunachal Pradesh OSH Rules, 2022: registration, fees, employer duties, working hours and registers
- Code on Social Security (Arunachal Pradesh) Rules, 2021: gratuity, maternity benefit and employees' compensation
- Contractor licence application and single licence under the Central OSH Rules, 2026
- Creche facility under the Central OSH Rules, 2026
Disclaimer: Based on the State or Union territory rules named above, as notified under the Labour Codes and consulted on 4 October 2026. Later amendments, State notifications, fees and forms should be checked in the State Gazette and on the State labour department website. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.