Lok Sabha Question No. 2933 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-18
Subject: Minimum Wages under MGNREGS
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Ram Shiromani Verma

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2933

## ANSWERED ON 18/03/2025

## MINIMUM WAGES UNDER MGNREGS

## 2933. SHRI RAM SHIROMANI VERMA:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENTbe pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  increase  the  minimum wages to Rs. 400 per day under the  Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme  (MGNREGS),  which serves as a sources of livelihood for poor, landless labourers and women in rural areas, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (b) whether the Government proposes to increase the employment guarantee from 100 days to 365 days under MGNREGS, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (c) the  steps  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  ensure  timely availability  of  funds  to  the  Gram  Panchayats  to  expedite  the development works under the said scheme?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN)

(a): As  per  section  6(1)  of  Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGA,  the  Central Government  may,  by  notification, specify the wage  rate for unskilled work for Mahatma Gandhi NREGS workers.  Accordingly, the  Ministry  of  Rural  Development  notifies  the  wage  rate  for unskilled  workers  under  Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGA  every  financial year. To compensate the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS) workers against  inflation,  the  Ministry  of  Rural  Development  revises  the wage rates every financial year based on the Consumer Price Index for Agricultural Labourer (CPI-AL). The revised wage rate is made applicable from 1 st April of each  financial  year.  The  average increase in the notified wage rate  from FY 2023-24 to FY 2024-25

is  7%.  Further,  State  can  also  give  additional  wages  to  workers over and above the notified wage rate of Government of India from their own resources.

(b): So far as enhancement of guaranteed days of employment is concerned, the Mahatma  Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee  Act  (Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGA)  mandates  at  least  100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to each household  in  rural  areas  whose  adult  members  volunteers  to  do unskilled manual work. In addition to this, there is a provision for an additional 50 days of unskilled wage employment in a financial year in drought/natural calamity-notified rural areas.

There  is  also  provision  for  providing  50  days  of  additional wage  employment  (beyond  the  stipulated  100  days)  to  every Scheduled  Tribe  Household  in  a  forest  area,  provided  that  these households  have  no  other  private  property  except  for  the  land rights provided under the FRA Act, 2006.As per Section 3(4) of the Mahatma  Gandhi  NREG  Act,  2005,  the  State  Governments  may make provision for providing additional days of employment beyond the period guaranteed under the Act from their own funds.

(c): Release of Funds under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS is a continuous process and Government of India is committed to make funds available to the States/UTs as per demands for work on the ground, subject to timely submission of prescribed documents and fulfillment  of  terms  and  conditions  prescribed  for  such  release. While wage payment is directly released by Ministry to the accounts of  beneficiaries  through  Direct  Benefit  Transfer  protocols,  the Material and Admin component is released to the State Government/ UT  Administration,  which  in  turn,  release  these  funds  to  their districts  as  per  established  protocols.  During  the  current  financial year 2024-25 (as on 07.03.2025), an amount of Rs. 83,260.48 crore has  been  released  towards  wages,  materials,  and  administrative contingencies to States and Union Territories for the implementation of the scheme.

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