Lok Sabha Question No. 4209 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-19
Subject: Difference in Wage Rates
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Subbarayan K, Com. Selvaraj V

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4209 ANSWERED ON 19/08/2025

## DIFFERENCE IN WAGE RATES

4209. Shri Subbarayan K: Com. Selvaraj V:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  it  is  a  fact  that  the  various  State  Governments  have different wage rates for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) workers; and
- (b) if  so,  the  details  of  the  wage  rate  prevailing  in  different  States and the criteria on which the wage rates are fixed in the States?

## ANSWER

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

(a)&(b): As  per  Section  6  (1)  of  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural Employment  Guarantee  Act  (Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGA),  2005,  the Central Government may, by notification, specify the wage rate for its beneficiaries. The Government of India has been determining the wage rates  using  the  Consumer  Price  Index  for  Agricultural  Labour  (CPIAL) from the year 2011-12.

The Ministry of Rural Development revises the wage rate every financial year based on change in Consumer Price Index for Agricultural Labour (CPI-AL). The  index is different for different States/UTs as notified by Labour Bureau Shimla. If the calculated wage rate  of  any  State/UT  as  per  the  index  for  the  current  year  results  in lower  wage  rate  than  the  wage  rate  of  previous  year,  it  is  being protected  by  maintaining  the  previous  year's  wage  rate.  The  revised wage  rate  is  made  applicable  from  1st April  of  each  financial  year. However, each State/UT can provide wages over and above the wage rate notified by the Central Government.

Using  the  above methodology, Central  Government  has  revised the  notified wage  rate  for  FY  2025-26 which  is around  5%  (average)

more than of FY 2024-25.

State/UT-wise  notified  wage  rates  for  unskilled  workers  under Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS in  current  financial  year  2025-26  are  given at Annexure.

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## Annexure  referred  to  in  reply  to  parts  (a)&(b)  of  LokSabhaUnstarred Question No. 4209 dated 19.08.2025.

| State/UT-wise notified wage rates for unskilled workers under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS in the current financial year 2025-26. (inRs.)   | State/UT-wise notified wage rates for unskilled workers under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS in the current financial year 2025-26. (inRs.)   | State/UT-wise notified wage rates for unskilled workers under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS in the current financial year 2025-26. (inRs.)   | State/UT-wise notified wage rates for unskilled workers under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS in the current financial year 2025-26. (inRs.)   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl. No.                                                                                                                             | State/UTs                                                                                                                           | State/UTs                                                                                                                           | FY 2025-26                                                                                                                          |
| 1                                                                                                                                   | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                                                      | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                                                      | 307                                                                                                                                 |
| 2                                                                                                                                   | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                                                                   | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                                                                   | 241                                                                                                                                 |
| 3                                                                                                                                   | Assam                                                                                                                               | Assam                                                                                                                               | 256                                                                                                                                 |
| 4                                                                                                                                   | Bihar                                                                                                                               | Bihar                                                                                                                               | 255                                                                                                                                 |
| 5                                                                                                                                   | Chhattisgarh                                                                                                                        | Chhattisgarh                                                                                                                        | 261                                                                                                                                 |
| 6                                                                                                                                   | Goa                                                                                                                                 | Goa                                                                                                                                 | 378                                                                                                                                 |
| 7                                                                                                                                   | Gujarat                                                                                                                             | Gujarat                                                                                                                             | 288                                                                                                                                 |
| 8                                                                                                                                   | Haryana                                                                                                                             | Haryana                                                                                                                             | 400                                                                                                                                 |
| 9                                                                                                                                   | Himachal Pradesh Non-Scheduled Areas                                                                                                | Himachal Pradesh Non-Scheduled Areas                                                                                                | 247                                                                                                                                 |
| 9(a)                                                                                                                                | Himachal Pradesh Scheduled Areas                                                                                                    | Himachal Pradesh Scheduled Areas                                                                                                    | 309                                                                                                                                 |
| 10                                                                                                                                  | Jammu and Kashmir                                                                                                                   | Jammu and Kashmir                                                                                                                   | 272                                                                                                                                 |
| 11                                                                                                                                  | Ladakh                                                                                                                              | Ladakh                                                                                                                              | 272                                                                                                                                 |
| 12                                                                                                                                  | Jharkhand                                                                                                                           | Jharkhand                                                                                                                           | 255                                                                                                                                 |
| 13                                                                                                                                  | Karnataka                                                                                                                           | Karnataka                                                                                                                           | 370                                                                                                                                 |
| 14                                                                                                                                  | Kerala                                                                                                                              | Kerala                                                                                                                              | 369                                                                                                                                 |
| 15                                                                                                                                  | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                                                      | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                                                      | 261                                                                                                                                 |
| 16                                                                                                                                  | Maharashtra                                                                                                                         | Maharashtra                                                                                                                         | 312                                                                                                                                 |
| 17                                                                                                                                  | Manipur                                                                                                                             | Manipur                                                                                                                             | 284                                                                                                                                 |
| 18                                                                                                                                  | Meghalaya                                                                                                                           | Meghalaya                                                                                                                           | 272                                                                                                                                 |
| 19                                                                                                                                  | Mizoram                                                                                                                             | Mizoram                                                                                                                             | 281                                                                                                                                 |
| 20                                                                                                                                  | Nagaland                                                                                                                            | Nagaland                                                                                                                            | 241                                                                                                                                 |
| 21                                                                                                                                  | Odisha                                                                                                                              | Odisha                                                                                                                              | 273                                                                                                                                 |
| 22                                                                                                                                  | Punjab                                                                                                                              | Punjab                                                                                                                              | 346                                                                                                                                 |
| 23                                                                                                                                  | Rajasthan                                                                                                                           | Rajasthan                                                                                                                           | 281                                                                                                                                 |
| 24                                                                                                                                  | Sikkim                                                                                                                              | Sikkim                                                                                                                              | 259                                                                                                                                 |
| 24 (a)                                                                                                                              | Sikkim (three Gram Panchayats named Gyanthang, Lachung and Lachen)                                                                  | Sikkim (three Gram Panchayats named Gyanthang, Lachung and Lachen)                                                                  | 389                                                                                                                                 |
| 25                                                                                                                                  | Tamil Nadu                                                                                                                          | Tamil Nadu                                                                                                                          | 336                                                                                                                                 |
| 26                                                                                                                                  | Telangana                                                                                                                           | Telangana                                                                                                                           | 307                                                                                                                                 |
| 27                                                                                                                                  | Tripura                                                                                                                             | Tripura                                                                                                                             | 256                                                                                                                                 |
| 28                                                                                                                                  | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                                                       | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                                                       | 252                                                                                                                                 |
| 29                                                                                                                                  | Uttarakhand                                                                                                                         | Uttarakhand                                                                                                                         | 252                                                                                                                                 |
| 30                                                                                                                                  | West Bengal                                                                                                                         | West Bengal                                                                                                                         | 260                                                                                                                                 |
|                                                                                                                                     | Andaman and Nicobar                                                                                                                 | Andaman District                                                                                                                    | 342                                                                                                                                 |
| 31                                                                                                                                  | Nicobar                                                                                                                             | District                                                                                                                            | 361                                                                                                                                 |
| 33                                                                                                                                  | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu                                                                                            | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu                                                                                            | 336                                                                                                                                 |
|                                                                                                                                     | Lakshadweep                                                                                                                         | Lakshadweep                                                                                                                         |                                                                                                                                     |

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