Centre Raises MGNREGA Worker Wages, Lowest Increase in Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur

Among the states, Assam, Meghalaya and Manipur will see lower increases in wage rates at below 5 percent

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GUWAHATI: The central government has announced that wages for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) workers will increase by 3 to 10 percent for the fiscal year 2024-25.

The increase is similar to the one announced for the current financial year. The new wage rates will start on April 1, 2024, as stated in a notification.

Among the states, Assam, Meghalaya, and Manipur will see a lower increase in wage rates at below 5 percent. Meghalaya received 3.4 percent, while Manipur received 3.59 percent and Assam at 3.93 percent.

Rajasthan has seen the biggest increase, with wages going up to 10.39 percent starting April 1, compared to the current rate.

The wage rate has been increased to Rs 255 per day for 2023-24 up from Rs 231 in 2022-23 in Rajasthan.

Bihar and Jharkhand had the second-highest percentage increase in wages, with rates rising by about eight percent compared to 2022. In 2022, NREGA workers in these states earned Rs 210, which was increased to Rs 228 in 2023.

Goa has seen the smallest increase of 2.22 percent, with the daily wage rising from Rs 315 in 2022-23 to Rs 322 in 2023-24. Karnataka follows closely behind, with the MNREGS wage rate increasing by 2.27 percent, from Rs 309 in 2022-23 to Rs 316 in 2023-24.

The Union Ministry of Rural Development announced the updated wages on March 24. The revised wages were announced under Section 6 (1) of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005, which empowers the Centre to revise wages through notification.

In the Union Budget for 2023-24, the Centre reduced the allocation for MGNREGA to Rs 60,000 crore, the lowest in four years, representing a 17.8 percent reduction.

A parliamentary standing committee has also raised concerns about this decrease in allocation. The committee has asked for explanations regarding the impact of this cut on the scheme's implementation and the number of households that could be covered.

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