Punjab seeks revision of MGNREGA wages from Union Rural Development Minister

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday batted for increase in wage rate notified under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in the state to Rs 381.06, at par with rate notified by Punjab for unskilled agriculture worker.

In a letter to Union Rural Development and Panchayti Raj Minister Giriraj Singh, Chief Minister sought upward revision in the rates notified for labour under the scheme as the existing rates were too minuscule. He said that less wage rate of Rs 303/- has been being notified for Punjab in comparison to Rs 357/- for the neighbouring state, Haryana. Bhagwant Mann said that he has came to know that this difference is existing since the inception of the scheme despite the fact that both states share similar geographic and economic conditions.

CM bemoaned that Punjab State Labour Department’s notified unskilled agricultural labour wage rate of Rs. 381.06 is also higher than the MGNREGA wage rate. He said that it reflects that the beneficiaries of this scheme are being denied their rightful dues which is not at all acceptable. Bhagwant Mann said that it is unfortunate that unskilled workers in Haryana get more payment for the same work done in compared to Punjab, which is a grave injustice with them.

Therefore, Mann sought the intervention of the Union Minister to get the matter examined again and increase Punjab’s wage rate at par with that of Haryana or with State Labour Department’s wage rates.