Kerala and Lakshadweep have been excluded from the latest wage revisions of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) workers, issued by the Union Ministry of Rural Development on March 17.
While all other States and union territories have witnessed at least a small increase in the existing wages, the MGNREGS wages for unskilled labourers in Kerala will remain at last year’s rate of ₹291 and Lakshadweep's at ₹266.
According to officials of the MGNREGS State mission, it is not clear what parameters were considered in the wage revision process to exclude a State like Kerala, which has also faced the effects of spiralling consumer prices due to constant increase in fuel and cooking gas prices.
“We are unaware of the reasons for excluding Kerala. The wage rate revision is usually done based on the consumer price index for agricultural labourers and unskilled wage rate in the agricultural sector. There has been an upward shift in the consumer price index in the State this year. The minimum wage rate in Kerala in the agricultural sector is ₹490 now, but the MGNREGS wage rate fixed by the centre still remains at ₹291. We also have to consider the fact that the minimum wages in Kerala are much higher than many other States, which is now not getting reflected in the MGNREGS wages,” says the official.
Last year, there was an increase of ₹20 for MGNREGS labourers in Kerala, along with an increase in other States. Among the States which had an increase this year, Meghalaya had the highest with ₹23 increase, while the lowest is Rajasthan with ₹1 increase.
In the poll-bound States and Union Territories, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have a considerable increase of ₹17 each, while Assam has ₹11 and West Bengal ₹9. Many of the States have much lesser wages compared to Kerala, despite the increase. For instance, the revised wage in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh is ₹193, while in Bihar it is ₹198, due to lower consumer price index.
As per the notification on wage revision issued by the Union Ministry of Rural Development, the Election Commission has conveyed its no objection from the mode of conduct angle to the wage hike, considering that elections are upcoming in some States.
But the government is not supposed to carry out any publicity regarding the hikes and no political functionary should make any reference regarding this in public speeches.
