Maharashtra hikes minimum wage before polls
Posted on,Monday, August 24, 2009
The state Government has increased the minimum wage of laborers under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREG).
In the new amendment made in the Minimum Wages Act 1948 those manual labors currently receiving Rs.66 per day will get Rs.100 and those receiving Rs.72 will be now paid Rs.120 by the Government. Laborers working on mechanized farm equipment will now have a minimum wage of Rs.145 to Rs.160
There are various reasons stated for the move. One is the political motive behind the move with assembly elections in two months. The other is that NREGA had made a recommendation a while ago to increase the minimum wage to Rs.80. Another is that due to the drought like conditions in the state the Government tried to do its part to help the less fortunate.
The below average monsoon has affected the agriculture industry of the state and the Government does not want to face the ire of the voters of the state in the assembly election to be held in the next two months.
And to divert the laborers who will be out of work in the agriculture sector an alternative in the form of NREGA is given to the out of work laborers to earn their daily breads. The decision is being hailed as a necessary decision by the Government authorities.
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