MGNREGS wage rates revised, hikes range between 4-10 per cent for different states; Congress slams government

PTI

New Delhi, March 28

Wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme have been revised, with hikes ranging between four and 10 per cent for different states.

Haryana has the highest wage rate for unskilled workers under the scheme at Rs 374 a day, while Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland have the lowest at Rs 234, according to a notification.

The wage rate in three panchayats of Sikkim—Gnathang, Lachung and Lachen—is Rs 374 a day.

The wage revision under the scheme was notified by the Union rural development ministry on March 27 after clearance from the Election Commission as the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is in force for the Lok Sabha polls.

The increases have been made on the 2023 wage rates under scheme that is aimed at enhancing livelihood security of households in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.

The hike in the wage rate in Goa was highest in the country at Rs 34 and the per day payment now stands at Rs 356 in the state, according to the notification. In Andhra Pradesh, it was increased by Rs 28 a day and the wage rate is now Rs 300.

The increase for Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand was the lowest at Rs 7 and the wage rate in both the states is Rs 237 a day to workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

The wage rate in West Bengal has been increased to Rs 250 (increase of Rs 13), in Tamil Nadu to Rs 319 (increase of Rs 25), in Telangana to Rs 300 (increase of Rs 28) and in Bihar to Rs 228 (increase of Rs 17).

Though Haryana tops in terms of wage rate, the increase is only around four per cent.

Overall, the hikes vary between four and 10 per cent. Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka and Telangana have registered an around 10 per cent increase, an analysis of the data mentioned in the notification shows.

In a report tabled in Parliament earlier this year, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj had pointed out that the high range of variation in MGNREGS wages across states.

It had also said that the wages were inadequate and not in consonance with the rising cost of living.

The panel also quoted a report of the Central Government Committee on minimum wages, Anoop Satpathy Committee, had recommended that the wages under MGNREGA should be Rs 375 a day.

‘Revised MGNREGS wage rates below Rs 400 a day as promised by Congress’

Meanwhile, the Congress slammed the Narendra Modi Government after it notified the revised MGNREGS wages for 2024-25, saying the daily wage rates in all states are well below the Rs 400 a day promised by the Opposition party under its “Shramik NYAY” guarantees.

In a post on X, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said: “Congratulations to MNREGA workers! The Prime Minister has increased your salary by Rs 7.”

“Now he might ask you, ‘What will you do with such a huge amount of money?’ And by spending Rs 700 crore, they could also start a ‘Thank you Modi’ campaign in your name,” he said.

“Those who are angry with this immense generosity of Modi ji, should remember—the INDIA government is going to increase the wages of every labourer to Rs 400 per day on the first day,” Gandhi said on the microblogging platform.

In another post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the MGNREGA wages are revised annually with effect from April 1.

“For 2024/25, the Modi government has just announced revised MGNREGA wages. Leaving aside the issue of whether this violates the spirit of the Model Code of Conduct in view of the forthcoming elections, the announced daily wage rates in ALL states are well below the Rs 400 a day, which is part of the ‘Shramik NYAY’ guarantees of the Indian National Congress,” he said.

The Congress’s “Shramik NYAY” announcement guarantees a nationwide minimum wage of Rs 400 per day to put an end to wage stagnation.

As part of the “Shramik NYAY” guarantees, the Congress has also promised a comprehensive review of the Modi government’s labour codes and suitable amendments to strengthen labour rights.

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