Lok Sabha Question No. 2397 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-01
Subject: Minimum Wages
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Komati Reddy Venkat Reddy, Manne Srinivas Reddy

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2397 TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.08.2022

## MINIMUM WAGES

## 2397. SHRI KOMATI REDDY VENKAT REDDY: SHRI MANNE SRINIVAS REDDY:

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

- (a)whether  the  dismantling  of  labour  laws  in  urban  areas  has  weakened labour  departments  in  view  of  the  facts  that  there  should  be  strict implementation  of  minimum  wages  and  further  that  landless  manual labourers  in  rural  India  are  denied  the  pitiful  Government  annual  cash transfer  of  Rs.6,000  given  to  landowning  farmers  and  also  that  rural labourers  should  also  be  entitled  to  a  similar  cash  transfer  and  the schedule of rates for women at MGNREGA projects based on impossibly high productivity rates must be lowered along with the work sites made
- more worker-friendly;
- (b)if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  reasons  therefor  along  with  corrective steps being taken by the Government; and
- (c)whether  there  is  demand  that  the  'compulsory'  woman  worker  must  be recognised and protected by laws and policies that address her issues, while India celebrates the 75th year of Independence and if so, the details thereof and the steps being taken in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI RAMESWAR TELI)

- (a)  to  (c):  The  provisions  of  the  Minimum  Wages  Act,  1948,  are  being enforced  by  the  Central  Government  and  the  State  Governments  in  their respective  jurisdiction.  In  the  Central  sphere  the  enforcement  is  done through the Inspecting Officers of the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) commonly designated as Central Industrial Relations Machinery (CIRM) and the compliance in the State Sphere is ensured through the State Enforcement Machinery. The designated inspecting officers conduct regular inspections  and  in  the  event  of  detection  of  any  case  of  non-payment  or underpayment of wages/minimum wages, they direct the employers to make payment of  the   shortfall of wages.   In   case    of non-compliance,  penal

provisions prescribed under section 22 of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, are taken  recourse  to.  The  details  in  regard  to  enforcement  of  the  minimum wages in the Scheduled employments in the Central Sphere are annexed.

Landholding  is  the  basic  eligibility  criteria  to  avail  the  benefit  of  the PM-KISAN Scheme. The Scheme aims to provide a payment of Rs. 6000/- per year  to  be  transferred  in  three  equal  instalments  of  Rs.  2000/-  each,  every four  months  directly  into  the  bank  accounts  of  eligible  landholding  farmer families.

Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS  is  a  demand  driven  wage  employment programme which provides for the enhancement of livelihood security of the households in rural areas of the country by providing at least one hundred days  of  guaranteed  wage  employment  in  every  financial  year  to  every household  whose  adult  members  volunteer  to  do  unskilled  manual  work. There is no gender based discrimination under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS. The Government has been making all efforts for improving the women participation  under  the  Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS  and  for  which  a  separate schedule of rate has been mandated for them with flexible working hours.

As  stipulated  in  the  Schedule-II  to  the  National  Rural  Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, the workers are, inter- alia, provided medical treatment in  case  of  injury  caused  by  accident  arising  out  of  and  in  the  course  of employment and ex gratia payment on death or permanent disability in the course of employment. Further, the facilities of safe drinking water, shade for children  and  periods  of rest,  first-aid  box  with  adequate  material  for emergency treatment for minor injuries and other health hazards connected with the work being performed are provided at the work site.

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## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  to  (c)  OF  LOK  SABHA  UN-STARRED QUESTION No. 2397 FOR 01.08.2022 REGARDING MINIMUM WAGES.

## Details of Inspections, Prosecutions and Convictions done under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948

| Particulars   |   No. of Inspections Conducted |   No. of Irregularities detected |   No. Irregularities Rectified |   No. of Prosecutions Launched |   No. of Convictions |
|---------------|--------------------------------|----------------------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|----------------------|
| 1             |                              2 |                                3 |                              4 |                              5 |                    6 |
| 2019-20       |                           7690 |                            59950 |                          23397 |                           1609 |                  412 |
| 2020-21       |                           2114 |                            13949 |                           7566 |                            501 |                  174 |
| 2021-22       |                           5022 |                            35983 |                           8726 |                            492 |                  167 |

## Claim cases under Minimum Wages Act, 1948

| Year    | CLAIMS FILED UNDER MINIMUM WAGES ACT, 1948   | CLAIMS FILED UNDER MINIMUM WAGES ACT, 1948   | CLAIMS FILED UNDER MINIMUM WAGES ACT, 1948   | CLAIMS FILED UNDER MINIMUM WAGES ACT, 1948   |
|---------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|         | FILED                                        | DECIDED                                      | AWARDED                                      | No. of WORKERS BENEFITED                     |
| 1       | 2                                            | 3                                            | 4                                            | 5                                            |
| 2019-20 | 3470                                         | 754                                          | Rs. 217981002/-                              | 5297                                         |
| 2020-21 | 3763                                         | 1334                                         | Rs. 270202177/-                              | 7631                                         |
| 2021-22 | 5297                                         | 2102                                         | Rs. 177722490/-                              | 7487                                         |

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