Lok Sabha Question No. 847 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-04-28
Subject: Wage Revision under MGNREGS
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: RAJEEV SHANKARRAO SATAV, SUKENDER REDDY GUTHA

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 847

TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.04 .2016

## WAGE REVISION UNDER MGNREGS

## 847. SHRI SATAV RAJEEV : SHRI GUTHA SUKENDER REDDY:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  taken  note  of  the  minimum  wages  being  paid  under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), if so, the details thereof, State/UT - wise;
- (b) thedetails of present structure of the wages being paid in different States, State/ - wise;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  set  up  a  Committee  under  the  Chairmanship  of  Prof. Mahendra  Dev  to  suggest  a  calculation  of  wages  on  the  basis  of  the  Consumer  Pri Index - rural instead of Consumer Price Index - agriculture labour for MGNREGS, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  studied  the  report  and  dropped  the  idea  of  changing wage calculation formula as suggested by Mahendra Dev Committe e for its flagship rural jobs programme but has increased the wages and if so, the details thereof and the r therefor;
- (e) whether many States have sought revision of wages as the present wages fall below minimum wages for agricultural labourer s in many States and if so, the details thereof and the stand of the Union Government thereto; and
- (f) the other steps taken/being taken by the Government to have MGNREGS wages more relevant and meaningful for agricultural labourers?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI SUDARSHAN BHAGAT)

- (a): The wage rates under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) are indexed with the Consumer Price Index for Agricultural Labour (CPI - AL) and are revised ever y year with effect from 1st April. Wage rates effective from 1st April, 2016 been revised vide Ministry's Notification dated 23/03/2016. State/UT -wise revised MGNREGA wage rates are given in the Annexure.
- (b): Under the Minimum wages Act, 1948, States /UTs may fix different minimum rates of wages payable to employees employed in different categories of employment and these ra may be fixed for a part of the State or for any specified class or classes of such e mployment in the whole State or part thereof. Hence, there is no single wage rate fixed by the state unskilled  manual  labourers  common  to  all  categories  of  employment.  In  view  of  this, comparison can be made with notified wage rates under MGNR EGS.

(c): Yes Madam, a Committee was set up under the chairmanship of Prof. Mahendra Dev to suggest a proper index for revising MGNREGA wage rates every year so as to protect the wa against inflation. (d): No Madam. The Report submitted by the Committee has been accepted by the Ministry of Rural Development and referred to Ministry of Finance for approval. The matter is examination. Since   the revision for 2016 was due to be made effective from 01.04. 2016, the Ministry decided to revise the wage rates pending decision on Prof. Mahendra Dev Committee's recommendations. (e)&(f): Yes  Madam,  the  Government  has  received  suggestions/recommendations  from some  States/UTs,  viz.,  Kerala,  Andhra  Pradesh,  Bihar, Karnataka,  Jharkhand,  Jammu  & Kashmir, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Andaman & Nicobar Islands stating that MGNREGA  wages  should  not  be  less  than  the  minimum  wages  notified  by  the  State Governments for unskilled agricultural labourers under the Minimum W ages Act, 1948. Section 6(1) and Section 28 of the Mahatma Gandhi NREG Act, 2005, give the Central Government, th power to determine its wage rates independent of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. to suggest a proper index for revising MGNREGA wage rates every year so as to protect

The mandate given to the Committee set up under the chairmans hip of Prof. Mahendra Dev was wages against inflation in respect of all MGNREGA workers.

******

## Annexure referred  to  in  reply  to  part  (a)  of Lok Sabha  Unstarred Question No. 847 dated 28. 04.2016

| State-wise wage rate for unskilled manual workers   | State-wise wage rate for unskilled manual workers   | State-wise wage rate for unskilled manual workers         |
|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|
| No.                                                 | Name of State/ Union territory                      | Wage rate in Rs. per day w.e.f. 1st April, 2016           |
| (1)                                                 | (2)                                                 | (3)                                                       |
| 1                                                   | Andhra Pradesh                                      | Rs. 194.00                                                |
| 2                                                   | Arunachal Pradesh                                   | Rs. 172.00                                                |
| 3                                                   | Assam                                               | Rs. 182.00                                                |
| 4                                                   | Bihar                                               | Rs. 167.00                                                |
| 5                                                   | Chhattisgarh                                        | Rs. 167.00                                                |
| 6                                                   | Gujarat                                             | Rs. 188.00                                                |
| 7                                                   | Goa                                                 | Rs. 229.00                                                |
| 8                                                   | Haryana                                             | Rs. 259.00                                                |
| 9                                                   | Himachal Pradesh                                    | Non-scheduled Areas-Rs. 170.00 Scheduled Areas-Rs. 213.00 |
| 10                                                  | Jammu and Kashmir                                   | Rs. 173.00                                                |
| 11                                                  | Jharkhand                                           | Rs. 167.00                                                |
| 12                                                  | Karnataka                                           | Rs. 224.00                                                |
| 13                                                  | Kerala                                              | Rs. 240.00                                                |
| 14                                                  | Madhya Pradesh                                      | Rs. 167.00                                                |
| 15                                                  | Maharashtra                                         | Rs. 192.00                                                |
| 16                                                  | Manipur                                             | Rs. 197.00                                                |
| 17                                                  | Meghalaya                                           | Rs. 169.00                                                |
| 18                                                  | Mizoram                                             | Rs. 188.00                                                |
| 19                                                  | Nagaland                                            | Rs. 172.00                                                |
| 20                                                  | Odisha                                              | Rs. 174.00                                                |
| 21                                                  | Punjab                                              | Rs. 218.00                                                |
| 22                                                  | Rajasthan                                           | Rs. 181.00                                                |
| 23                                                  | Sikkim                                              | Rs. 172.00                                                |
| 24                                                  | Tamil Nadu                                          | Rs. 203.00                                                |
| 25                                                  | Telangana                                           | Rs. 194.00                                                |
| 26                                                  | Tripura                                             | Rs. 172.00                                                |
| 27                                                  | Uttar Pradesh                                       | Rs. 174.00                                                |
| 28                                                  | Uttarakhand                                         | Rs. 174.00                                                |
| 29                                                  | West Bengal                                         | Rs. 176.00                                                |
| 30                                                  | Andaman and Nicobar                                 | Andaman District                                          |
| 30                                                  | Andaman and Nicobar                                 | Rs. 230.00                                                |
| 30                                                  | Andaman and Nicobar                                 | Nicobar District                                          |
| 30                                                  | Andaman and Nicobar                                 | Rs. 243.00                                                |
| 31                                                  | Dadra and Nagar Haveli                              | Rs. 208.00                                                |
| 32                                                  | Daman and Diu                                       | Rs. 192.00                                                |
| 33                                                  | Lakshadweep                                         | Rs. 220.00                                                |
| 34                                                  | Puducherry                                          | Rs. 203.00                                                |
| 35                                                  | Chandigarh                                          | Rs. 248.00                                                |