MGNREGA wage rates: Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the Central government notified a revision in wage rates for unskilled manual workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005 for the financial year 2024-2025. The wage rate of MGNREGA workers is set to increase by 3-10 per cent in nominal terms.
The new wage rates, notified by the Ministry of Rural Development under sub-section (1) of section 6 of MGNREGA 2005, will come into force from April 1, 2024.
As per the notification, the wage rates for MGNREGA workers in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand have experienced the lowest increase of 3.04 per cent in the fiscal year 2024-25 compared to the previous year, while Goa saw the highest increase at 10.6 per cent.
MGNREGA wages in three other states- Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, have also experienced a hike of over 10 per cent and eight states, namely Haryana, Assam, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Kerala, and Lakshadweep, have witnessed a hike below 5 per cent.
Check state-wise revised rates
| S.No. | State/UTs |
MGNREGA Wages 2023-24 (per day in Rs) |
MGNREGA Wages 2024-25 (per day in Rs) |
Increase % |
| 1. | Andhra Pradesh | 272 | 300 | 10.3 |
| 2. | Arunachal Pradesh | 224 | 234 | 4.5 |
| 3. | Assam | 238 | 249 | 4.6 |
| 4. | Bihar | 228 | 245 | 7.5 |
| 5. | Chhattisgarh | 221 | 243 | 10.0 |
| 6. | Goa | 322 | 356 | 10.6 |
| 7. | Gujarat | 256 | 280 | 9.4 |
| 8. | Haryana | 357 | 374 | 4.8 |
| 9. | Himachal Pradesh |
Non-scheduled areas: 224 Scheduled areas: 280 |
Non-scheduled areas: 236 Scheduled areas: 295 |
5.4 |
| 10. | Jammu and Kashmir | 244 | 259 | 6.1 |
| 11. | Ladakh | 244 | 259 | 6.1 |
| 12. | Jharkhand | 228 | 245 | 7.5 |
| 13. | Karnataka | 316 | 349 | 10.4 |
| 14. | Kerala | 333 | 346 | 3.9 |
| 15. | Madhya Pradesh | 221 | 243 | 10.0 |
| 16. | Maharashtra | 273 | 297 | 8.8 |
| 17. | Manipur | 260 | 272 | 4.6 |
| 18. | Meghalaya | 238 | 259 | 8.8 |
| 19. | Mizoram | 249 | 266 | 6.8 |
| 20. | Nagaland | 224 | 234 | 4.5 |
| 21. | Odisha | 237 | 254 | 7.2 |
| 22. | Punjab | 303 | 322 | 6.3 |
| 23. | Rajasthan | 255 | 266 | 4.3 |
| 24. | Sikkim | 236 | 249 | 5.5 |
| 25. | Tamil Nadu | 294 | 319 | 8.5 |
| 26. | Telangana | 272 | 300 | 10.3 |
| 27. | Tripura | 226 | 242 | 7.1 |
| 28. | Uttar Pradesh | 230 | 237 | 3.0 |
| 29. | Uttarakhand | 230 | 237 | 3.0 |
| 30. | West Bengal | 237 | 250 | 5.5 |
| 31. | Andaman and Nicobar |
Andaman: 311 Nicobar: 328 |
Andaman: 329 Nicobar: 347 |
5.7 |
| 32. | Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | 297 | 324 | 9.1 |
| 33. | Lakshadweep | 304 | 315 | 3.6 |
| 34. | Puducherry | 294 | 319 | 8.5 |
About MGNREGA
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS) is a demand-driven wage employment Scheme and funds are released to State/UT on the basis of the “agreed to” Labour Budget and performance of the States during the year. The Ministry seeks additional funds from the Ministry of Finance as and when required for meeting the demand for work on the ground. Fund release to the States/UTs is a continuous process and Central Government is committed for making funds available to States for the implementation of the Scheme.
The government of India has allocated Rs 60, 000 crore in Budget Estimate 2023-24 under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA. Further, the budgetary allocation has been enhanced up to Rs.74, 524.29 crore in 1st Supplementary Demand for Grant.
As per Section 6(1) of Mahatma Gandhi NREGA, the Central Government may by notification specify the wage rate for its beneficiaries. Accordingly, the Ministry of Rural Development notifies Mahatma Gandhi NREGA wage rate every financial year for States/UTs. To compensate the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA workers against inflation, the Ministry of Rural Development revises the wage rate every financial year based on change in Consumer Price Index for Agricultural Labour (CPI-AL). The wage rate is made applicable from April 1 of each financial year. However, each State/UT can provide wage over and above the wage rate notified by the Central Government.
As per the provisions mentioned in Schedule-II of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (Mahatma Gandhi NREGA), wage seekers shall be entitled to receive payment of compensation for the delay, at the rate of 0.05% of the unpaid wages per day of delay beyond the sixteenth day of closure of muster roll.
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