Lok Sabha Question No. 4115 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-18
Subject: Minimum Wages to Workers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Shri Brijendra Singh Ola

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4115 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.08.2025

## MINIMUM WAGES TO WORKERS

†4115. SHRI BRIJENDRA SINGH OLA:

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

- (a)whether there are regular reports of non-payment of wages/salaries to their employees/workers by the contractors/firms;
- (b)if so, the number of complaints received in regard during the last five years and the current year, State-wise;
- (c)whether it is a fact that such contractors/firms don't even pay the minimum wages to their employees/workers and if so, the details of  the  number  of  such  cases  came  into  cognizance  of  the Government along with the action taken against such firms;
- (d)the  details  of  the  number  of  such  complaints  against  which challans have been issued by Metropolitan Magistrate Court under Minimum Wages Act, 1948 during the last five years and the current year, State-wise; and
- (e)the details of the number of such cases in which full payment of wages/salaries has been made as post-complaint resolution during the last five years and the current year, State-wise?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)

(a) to (e): The Central Government and the State Governments are appropriate Governments to enforce the provisions of the Payment of Wages  Act,  1936,  and  the  Minimum  Wages  Act,  1948,  in  their respective jurisdictions.

In  the  Central  sphere,  enforcement  is  done  through  the Inspecting  Officers  of  the  office  of  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 noncompliance, penal provisions prescribed under sections 17A and 20 of the Payment of Wages Act, 1936 and section 22 of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 are taken recourse to.

The details of number of complaints received in respect of non-payment of Salaries by the Contractor/ Firms, the number of such complaints where challans were issued by Metropolitan Magistrate Court under Minimum Wages Act, 1948 and number of such cases in which full payment of wages/ salaries was made as post-complaint resolution  during  the  last  five  years  and  the  current  year,  in  the Central  sphere,  is  mentioned  at  Annexure.  However,  details  of enforcement  in  respect  of  the  State  sphere  are  not  maintained centrally.

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Annexure

Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) to (e) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 4115 for 18/08/2025 regarding 'Minimum Wages to Workers' by Shri Brijendra Singh Ola.

| Year                     |   No. of complaints/ claims received regarding payment of salaries by the contractor or firm |   No of complaints out of said complaints where challans have been issued in the metropolitan Magistrate Court under Minimum Wages Act, 1948 |   No of such cases where full salary has been paid post complaint/ claim resolution |
|--------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2020-21                  |                                                                                         2859 |                                                                                                                                          102 |                                                                                1346 |
| 2021-22                  |                                                                                         3222 |                                                                                                                                          125 |                                                                                1347 |
| 2022-23                  |                                                                                         3698 |                                                                                                                                          111 |                                                                                1618 |
| 2023-24                  |                                                                                         4240 |                                                                                                                                          132 |                                                                                2451 |
| 2024-25                  |                                                                                         2680 |                                                                                                                                           90 |                                                                                1680 |
| 2025-26 (Till July,2025) |                                                                                         1192 |                                                                                                                                           44 |                                                                                 397 |

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