Hike in wage of farmhands mere Rs 51.62 in 5 yrs

Tribune News Service

Karam Prakash

New Delhi, December 18

Despite across-the-board rising inflation, agriculture labourers in Punjab are among the worst hit, who have to live on a meagre average daily wage of Rs 378.

Paid highest in Kerala

• In Haryana, agricultural labourers get Rs 400.88 per day
• In Himachal Pradesh, daily income of farm worker is Rs 470.56
• Kerala pays the highest wages of Rs 736.31 to farm labourers

This has been disclosed in the latest data pertaining to 2021-22 tabled by Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar in the ongoing winter session this week. It has been learnt that only Rs 51.62 in daily wage had been increased over the last five years. In 2017-18, daily average farm labourer cost was Rs 326.79. The increment in daily wage, said experts, was unusually small in proportion to the amount of rising inflation over the years.

Moreover, Punjab — where farming largely depends on hired labourers, contrary to family labourers in other states — has lower agricultural daily wage as compared to neighbouring states Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

In Haryana, agricultural labourers get Rs 400.88 per day while the daily income of farm labourers of HP is Rs 470.56 in 2021-22. Kerala pays the highest Rs 736.31.

Mukesh Malaud, Punjab state president, Zameen Prapti Sangharsh Committee, said it was unfortunate that there was a rise of only Rs 51.62 despite a steep rise in inflation. He said, “We have already met Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over this issue in June this year. The CM had – during the meeting – assured them that the daily wage of labourers have to be above Rs 500. We will meet him this month again.” Mukesh added that labourers were exploited by big farm owners, who arbitrarily cap the daily wage, even lower than the official minimum wage. It was against the human rights, said Mukesh.

Meanwhile, Devinder Sharma, agriculture expert, said, “Despite Punjab being second in income per agriculture household at Rs 26, 701, farm labourers are not getting enough.”

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