Lok Sabha Question No. 1180 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-30
Subject: Criteria for Minimum Wages
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Charanjit Singh Channi, Shri Ramashankar  Vidharthi Rajbhar, Shri Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK  SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1180 ANSWERED ON 30/07/2024

## CRITERIA FOR MINIMUM WAGES

## 1180 SHRI CHARANJIT SINGH CHANNI:

SHRI RAMASHANKAR RAJBHAR:

SHRI GURMEET SINGH MEET HAYER:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENTbe pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme(MGNREGS);
- (b) the  details  of  the  current  daily  wages  provided  by  the  Union Government underMGNREGS in the country, particularly in the States of Punjab and Haryana;
- (c) the criteria for determining minimum wages and working hours under the MGNREGS;
- (d) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  increase  the  minimum wages and working hours, ifso, the details thereof; and
- (e) the number of man days being provided to the said workers in a month by theGovernment?

## ANSWER

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

- (a): Mahatma  Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS) is a demand-driven wage employment  Scheme  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.  The objectives of the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS are as  below:

- (i) Providing at least one hundred days of unskilled manual work
- in  a  financial  year  to  every  household  in  rural  areas  as  per demand resulting in creation of productive assets of prescribed quality and durability;
- (ii) Strengthening the livelihood resource base of the poor;
- (iii) Proactively ensuring social inclusion and
- (iv) StrengtheningPanchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs)

(b): State/UT-wise wage rates for unskilled workers under Mahatma Gandhi  NREGS  for  the  current  financial  year  2024-25,  including

Punjab and Haryana, are at  Annexure-I.

(c)&(d):   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 (CPI-AL) 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 of  each financial year. However, each State/UT can provide wages over and revised wage  rate  is made  applicable  from  1st April above the wage rate notified by the Central Government.

As per para 19(a) &(b) of Schedule I of the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA,  "the  schedule  of  rates  of  wages  for  various  unskilled labourers shall be fixed up so that an adult person worked for eight hours which include an hour of rest will earn a wage which is equal to  the  stipulated  wage  rate  and  the  working  hours  of  an  adult worker shall be flexible but shall not spread over more than twelve hours on any day".

With  regard  to  the  change  in  the  working  hours  of  workers  of Mahatma Gandhi NREGS, at present there is no plan to change the

working  hours  of  workers  of  Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS  in  this Ministry.

(e):      Month-wise  details  of  employment  provided  (in  person-days generated)  under  the  Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS  during  the  current Financial Year 2024-25 (as on 24.07.2024) are given in Annexure-II.

*****

## Annexure-I  referred  in  reply  to  part  (b)  of  LokSabhaUnstarred Question No. 1180 dated 30.07.2024

| State/UT-wise wage rates for unskilled workers under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS   | State/UT-wise wage rates for unskilled workers under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS   | State/UT-wise wage rates for unskilled workers under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS   |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| SI. No.                                                                     | States/UTs                                                                  | 2024-25                                                                     |
| 1                                                                           | Andhra Pradesh                                                              | 300                                                                         |
| 2                                                                           | Arunachal Pradesh                                                           | 234                                                                         |
| 3                                                                           | Assam                                                                       | 249                                                                         |
| 4                                                                           | Bihar                                                                       | 245                                                                         |
| 5                                                                           | Chhattisgarh                                                                | 243                                                                         |
| 6                                                                           | Goa                                                                         | 356                                                                         |
| 7                                                                           | Gujarat                                                                     | 280                                                                         |
| 8                                                                           | Haryana                                                                     | 374                                                                         |
| 9                                                                           | Himachal Pradesh Non-Scheduled Areas                                        | 236                                                                         |
| 9(a)                                                                        | Himachal Pradesh Scheduled Areas                                            | 295                                                                         |
| 10                                                                          | Jammu - Kashmir                                                             | 259                                                                         |
| 11                                                                          | Ladakh                                                                      | 259                                                                         |
| 12                                                                          | Jharkhand                                                                   | 245                                                                         |
| 13                                                                          | Karnataka                                                                   | 349                                                                         |
| 14                                                                          | Kerala                                                                      | 346                                                                         |
| 15                                                                          | Madhya Pradesh                                                              | 243                                                                         |
| 16                                                                          | Maharashtra                                                                 | 297                                                                         |
| 17                                                                          | Manipur                                                                     | 272                                                                         |
| 18                                                                          | Meghalaya                                                                   | 254                                                                         |
| 19                                                                          | Mizoram                                                                     | 266                                                                         |
| 20                                                                          | Nagaland                                                                    | 234                                                                         |
| 21                                                                          | Odisha                                                                      | 254                                                                         |
| 22                                                                          | Punjab                                                                      | 322                                                                         |
| 23                                                                          | Rajasthan                                                                   | 266                                                                         |
| 24                                                                          | Sikkim                                                                      | 249                                                                         |
| 24 (a)                                                                      | Sikkim (3 Gram Panchayats named Gnathang, Lachung and Lachen)               | 374                                                                         |
| 25                                                                          | Tamil Nadu                                                                  | 319                                                                         |
| 26                                                                          | Telangana                                                                   | 300                                                                         |
| 27                                                                          | Tripura                                                                     | 242                                                                         |
| 28                                                                          | Uttar Pradesh                                                               | 237                                                                         |
| 29                                                                          | Uttarakhand                                                                 | 237                                                                         |
| 30                                                                          | West Bengal                                                                 | 250                                                                         |
| 31                                                                          | Andaman                                                                     | 329                                                                         |
| 31(a)                                                                       | Nicobar                                                                     | 347                                                                         |
| 32                                                                          | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu                                    | 324                                                                         |
| 33                                                                          | Lakshadweep                                                                 | 315                                                                         |
| 34                                                                          | Puducherry                                                                  | 319                                                                         |

## Annexure-II  referred  in  reply  to  part  (e)  of  LokSabhaUnstarred Question No. 1180 dated 30.07.2024

| Month-wise details of employment provided (in person-days generated) under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the current Financial Year 2024-25 (as on   | Month-wise details of employment provided (in person-days generated) under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the current Financial Year 2024-25 (as on   | Month-wise details of employment provided (in person-days generated) under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the current Financial Year 2024-25 (as on   | Month-wise details of employment provided (in person-days generated) under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the current Financial Year 2024-25 (as on   | Month-wise details of employment provided (in person-days generated) under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the current Financial Year 2024-25 (as on   | Month-wise details of employment provided (in person-days generated) under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the current Financial Year 2024-25 (as on   |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|                                                                                                                                                        |                                                                                                                                                        | Person                                                                                                                                                 | Person                                                                                                                                                 | Person                                                                                                                                                 | Person                                                                                                                                                 |
| No.                                                                                                                                                    | State/UTs                                                                                                                                              | April                                                                                                                                                  | May                                                                                                                                                    | June                                                                                                                                                   | July                                                                                                                                                   |
| 1                                                                                                                                                      | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                                                                         | 59837554                                                                                                                                               | 67464093                                                                                                                                               | 27801708                                                                                                                                               | 6348775                                                                                                                                                |
| 2                                                                                                                                                      | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                                                                                      | 265421                                                                                                                                                 | 453915                                                                                                                                                 | 575199                                                                                                                                                 | 173887                                                                                                                                                 |
| 3                                                                                                                                                      | Assam                                                                                                                                                  | 3462856                                                                                                                                                | 6977243                                                                                                                                                | 6759038                                                                                                                                                | 2429429                                                                                                                                                |
| 4                                                                                                                                                      | Bihar                                                                                                                                                  | 31030686                                                                                                                                               | 39556296                                                                                                                                               | 36337184                                                                                                                                               | 4039691                                                                                                                                                |
| 5                                                                                                                                                      | Chhattisgarh                                                                                                                                           | 25723894                                                                                                                                               | 31823396                                                                                                                                               | 18633907                                                                                                                                               | 1619054                                                                                                                                                |
| 6                                                                                                                                                      | Goa                                                                                                                                                    | 2600                                                                                                                                                   | 6162                                                                                                                                                   | 7629                                                                                                                                                   | 2277                                                                                                                                                   |
| 7                                                                                                                                                      | Gujarat                                                                                                                                                | 6937213                                                                                                                                                | 7977337                                                                                                                                                | 5724750                                                                                                                                                | 894619                                                                                                                                                 |
| 8                                                                                                                                                      | Haryana                                                                                                                                                | 374926                                                                                                                                                 | 741726                                                                                                                                                 | 1606422                                                                                                                                                | 354354                                                                                                                                                 |
| 9                                                                                                                                                      | Himachal Pradesh                                                                                                                                       | 3380682                                                                                                                                                | 3956937                                                                                                                                                | 4032894                                                                                                                                                | 1383510                                                                                                                                                |
| 10                                                                                                                                                     | Jammu And Kashmir                                                                                                                                      | 345404                                                                                                                                                 | 1136545                                                                                                                                                | 2267006                                                                                                                                                | 1334286                                                                                                                                                |
| 11                                                                                                                                                     | Jharkhand                                                                                                                                              | 13293475                                                                                                                                               | 13470847                                                                                                                                               | 10739945                                                                                                                                               | 3663154                                                                                                                                                |
| 12                                                                                                                                                     | Karnataka                                                                                                                                              | 17492025                                                                                                                                               | 22397490                                                                                                                                               | 17317304                                                                                                                                               | 6894809                                                                                                                                                |
| 13                                                                                                                                                     | Kerala                                                                                                                                                 | 2382787                                                                                                                                                | 4651083                                                                                                                                                | 6200048                                                                                                                                                | 3655226                                                                                                                                                |
| 14                                                                                                                                                     | Ladakh                                                                                                                                                 | 14836                                                                                                                                                  | 57887                                                                                                                                                  | 41838                                                                                                                                                  | 21437                                                                                                                                                  |
| 15                                                                                                                                                     | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                                                                         | 20355013                                                                                                                                               | 26559252                                                                                                                                               | 24929480                                                                                                                                               | 6840606                                                                                                                                                |
| 16                                                                                                                                                     | Maharashtra                                                                                                                                            | 18095699                                                                                                                                               | 28393657                                                                                                                                               | 19896375                                                                                                                                               | 4152192                                                                                                                                                |
| 17                                                                                                                                                     | Manipur                                                                                                                                                | 87969                                                                                                                                                  | 140184                                                                                                                                                 | 215770                                                                                                                                                 | 146228                                                                                                                                                 |
| 18                                                                                                                                                     | Meghalaya                                                                                                                                              | 309655                                                                                                                                                 | 825326                                                                                                                                                 | 1003328                                                                                                                                                | 239537                                                                                                                                                 |
| 19                                                                                                                                                     | Mizoram                                                                                                                                                | 2068727                                                                                                                                                | 2087770                                                                                                                                                | 1552314                                                                                                                                                | 131571                                                                                                                                                 |
| 20                                                                                                                                                     | Nagaland                                                                                                                                               | 43958                                                                                                                                                  | 233013                                                                                                                                                 | 383999                                                                                                                                                 | 169337                                                                                                                                                 |
| 21                                                                                                                                                     | Odisha                                                                                                                                                 | 10810882                                                                                                                                               | 11754528                                                                                                                                               | 9924935                                                                                                                                                | 3915753                                                                                                                                                |
| 22                                                                                                                                                     | Punjab                                                                                                                                                 | 1960777                                                                                                                                                | 2652479                                                                                                                                                | 2263065                                                                                                                                                | 1109337                                                                                                                                                |
| 23                                                                                                                                                     | Rajasthan                                                                                                                                              | 30168003                                                                                                                                               | 54914417                                                                                                                                               | 54833954                                                                                                                                               | 12010324                                                                                                                                               |
| 24                                                                                                                                                     | Sikkim                                                                                                                                                 | 60640                                                                                                                                                  | 206428                                                                                                                                                 | 203519                                                                                                                                                 | 228752                                                                                                                                                 |
| 25                                                                                                                                                     | Tamil Nadu                                                                                                                                             | 1150678                                                                                                                                                | 5634606                                                                                                                                                | 10090480                                                                                                                                               | 9682244                                                                                                                                                |
| 26                                                                                                                                                     | Telangana                                                                                                                                              | 42709555                                                                                                                                               | 43014332                                                                                                                                               | 12044794                                                                                                                                               | 1335328                                                                                                                                                |
| 27                                                                                                                                                     | Tripura                                                                                                                                                | 804265                                                                                                                                                 | 2860727                                                                                                                                                | 4006893                                                                                                                                                | 2251205                                                                                                                                                |
| 28                                                                                                                                                     | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                                                                          | 30548913                                                                                                                                               | 43368323                                                                                                                                               | 43765355                                                                                                                                               | 7625843                                                                                                                                                |
| 29                                                                                                                                                     | Uttarakhand                                                                                                                                            | 1776139                                                                                                                                                | 1961938                                                                                                                                                | 1647258                                                                                                                                                | 417075                                                                                                                                                 |
| 30                                                                                                                                                     | West Bengal                                                                                                                                            | 0                                                                                                                                                      | 0                                                                                                                                                      | 0                                                                                                                                                      | 0                                                                                                                                                      |
| 31                                                                                                                                                     | Andaman and Nicobar                                                                                                                                    | 8389                                                                                                                                                   | 7617                                                                                                                                                   | 2990                                                                                                                                                   | 2563                                                                                                                                                   |
| 32                                                                                                                                                     | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu                                                                                                               | 12744                                                                                                                                                  | 1408                                                                                                                                                   | 58471                                                                                                                                                  | 6513                                                                                                                                                   |
| 33                                                                                                                                                     | Lakshadweep                                                                                                                                            | 0                                                                                                                                                      | 0                                                                                                                                                      | 0                                                                                                                                                      | 0                                                                                                                                                      |
| 34                                                                                                                                                     | Puducherry                                                                                                                                             | 7273                                                                                                                                                   | 29621                                                                                                                                                  | 85373                                                                                                                                                  | 54151                                                                                                                                                  |
|                                                                                                                                                        | Total                                                                                                                                                  | 325523638                                                                                                                                              | 425316583                                                                                                                                              | 324953225                                                                                                                                              | 83133067                                                                                                                                               |

*****