Wages Should Be Linked To The Inflation Index

It is alleged that The Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) has never been a priority of the present government. 

But the reality of the rural society is such that the government is neither able to spit it out nor swallow it. 

It was a common experience during the Corona period that this scheme proved to be the biggest support for the poor.

 After that it is no longer possible to ignore this Act. So the government has finally taken a decision to increase the wages of MNREGA. 

However, One issue is still unresolved. There is disparity in the rate of wages in different states. 

The question is, why don’t those working in the same scheme get equal wages? 

Under MNREGA, the Government of India has issued a notification to increase the daily wages from the next financial year 2023-24. Wages has been increased from Rs 7 to Rs 26. 

That is, increase in the daily wage will be from two to ten percent. These new rates will be applicable from April 1. After this increase, the highest wage rate in Haryana will be Rs.357 per day.

On the other hand Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to be the lowest daily wage rate of Rs 221. 

While Rajasthan has registered the maximum increase of 10.39 per cent compared to the existing wage rate and Goa has registered the lowest increase of 2.2 per cent. 

Well since the time MNREGA started, the wage rate has been different. This is said to be because the cost of living varies from state to state in India. 

That is, the expenditure that is incurred in Delhi, is not incurred in Bihar. Because of this, the daily wages are also kept separately in every state. This is fine in itself. 

But the way in which inflation has increased in the last one year, has its rate also been different? 

There is a need that whether it is MNREGA wages or minimum wages, it should be linked to the inflation index. 

Only then can the level of consumption of the working class from the cities to the villages be maintained, which is also necessary for the health of the general economy.