Lok Sabha Question No. 1358 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-02-10
Subject: Minimum Wages
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Chhatar Singh Darbar, Mansukhbhai Dhanjibhai Vasava

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1358

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.02.2020

## MINIMUM WAGES

†1358. SHRI CHHATAR SINGH DARBAR:

SHRI MANSUKHBHAI DHANJIBHAI VASAVA:

Will  the  Minister  of  LABOUR  AND  EMPLOYMENT  be  pleased  to state:

- (a)the minimum wages being paid to agricultural labourers in the country at present;
- (b)whether agricultural production has got adversely affected due to low minimum wages; and
- (c)if so, the reformative measures taken by the Government for increasing minimum wages with regard to the agricultural labourers, bidi workers
- and mine workers working in the unorganized sector? ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR)

- (a): Under the provisions of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, both Central  and  State  Governments  are  appropriate  Governments  to  fix, review and revise the minimum wages of the workers employed in the scheduled employment under their respective jurisdictions. Agricultural labourers  fall  under  both  the  Central  and  State  Governments.  Present Minimum  rates  of  wages  for  the  agricultural  Labourers  in  the  Central Sphere is at Annexure.
- (b) & (c): The  Central  Government  has  revised  the  Basic  Minimum wages  on  19.01.2017  for  the  scheduled  employments  in  the  Central Sphere.  In  order  to  protect  the  minimum  wages  against  inflation,  the Central  Government  mooted  the  idea  of  Variable  Dearness  Allowance (VDA) in terms of recommendations of the Labour Ministers' Conference held  in  1988.  Accordingly,  in  the  Central  Sphere,  Variable  Dearness Allowance (VDA) has been added as a component to the Minimum Wage and the same is revised twice in a year effective from 1st April and 1st October every year on the basis of Consumer Price Index number.

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## Annexure

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (A)  OF  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1358 FOR 10/02/2020. RAISED BY SHRI CHHATAR SINGH DARBAR AND SHRI MANSUKHBHAI DHANJIBHAI VASAVA.

## Area wise Rates of Minimum Wages for Scheduled Employments in the Central Sphere

As on 01.10.2019

| Name of Scheduled Employment   | Category of Worker                 | Rates of wages including V.D.A per day (in Rs.)   | Rates of wages including V.D.A per day (in Rs.)   | Rates of wages including V.D.A per day (in Rs.)   |
|--------------------------------|------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|
|                                |                                    | Area A                                            | Area B                                            | Area C                                            |
| 1. Agriculture                 | Unskilled                          | 383.00                                            | 350.00                                            | 347.00                                            |
|                                | Semi-Skilled/Unskilled Supervisory | 420.00                                            | 385.00                                            | 354.00                                            |
|                                | Skilled/Clerical                   | 455.00                                            | 420.00                                            | 384.00                                            |
|                                | Highly Skilled                     | 504.00                                            | 469.00                                            | 420.00                                            |