(a) whether the Government has assessed the adequacy of the minimum wages
being paid in different States under the National Rural Employment Guarantee
Scheme (NREGS);
(b) if so, the details thereof,
(c) whether the Government proposes to link the minimum wages payable
to workers under NREGS with the prevailing cost of living level; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. C. P. JOSHI)
(a)to(d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
Statement as referred to in reply to parts (a) to (d) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 403 for answer on 31.7.2009
(a) to (d): Wages are paid to the NREGA workers in accordance with the wage rate as provided in Section 6 of the Act.
Section 6(1) provides that Central Government may,by notification, specify the wage rate for the purposes of this Act
provided that the wage rate notified by the Centre shall not be less than Rs. 60 per day.
Section 6(2) of NREGA provides that until such time as a wage rate is fixed by the Central Government in respect of
any area in a State, the minimum wage fixed by the State Governments under Section 3 of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948
for agricultural labourers shall be the wage rate applicable to that area.
Central Government notified wage rate for NREGA workers under Section 6(1) of the Act on 1.1.2009 which takes into
account the wage rate fixed by the respective State Governments under Section 3 of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 for
agricultural labourers. Prior to this date, wages were paid to the NREGA workers in accordance with Section 6(2)
of NREG Act. Prevailing wage rates as notified by the Central Government under NREGA are given in Annexure-I.