MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR (SHRI MUNI LALL)
(a): The Central Government fixed the minimum wages of agricultural
workers on 11.11.1999 as per details given below:
(Rs. per day)
Category Area `A` Area `B` Area `C`
Unskilled 75/- 69/- 67/-
Semi-skilled 83/- 77/- 70/-
Skilled 91/- 83/- 76/-
Highly Skilled 101/- 93/- 83/-
Clerical 91/- 83/- 75/-
The minimum wages are revised every six month by adding Variable
Dearness Allowance linked to the Consumer Price Index.
(b): A statement showing the dates of revision of minimum wages for
agricultural workers in various States is at Annexure-I.
(c) to (f): Under the provisions of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948,
both Central and the State Governments are the appropriate Government to
fix, revise and enforce minimum wages in the scheduled employments under
their respective jurisdictions. Agriculture is an employment in both
Central as well as State sphere. The enforcement of the provisions of
the Act in Central Sphere is secured through the officers of Central
Industrial Relations Machinery and in the State Sphere, through State
enforcement machinery. The officers of these machineries are appointed
as Inspectors under the Act. They conduct regular inspections of the
establishments and in the event of detection of any case of non-payment
or less payment of minimum wages, they advise the employers to pay the
shortfall of wages with or without compensation. There are also the
provisions of legal and penal actions against the defaulting employers.
State-wise details of the strength of Central Industrial
Relations Machinery are given in Annexure-II.
