Why is it in the news?
- The Union government has notified revised wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), with several states reporting an increase of 8% to 10%.
More about the news
- Wages have been revised across states, with varying increases ranging from ₹7 in Uttar Pradesh to ₹34 in Goa. Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Goa have reported significant jumps in wages.
- Bihar follows closely behind with a wage revision of ₹ Haryana offers the highest wages at ₹374 per day, while Uttar Pradesh has one of the lowest at ₹237.
- These revised rates will be applicable from April 1, and the Union Rural Development Ministry had to seek special permission from the Election Commission to issue the notification.
- Despite being a routine exercise, the ministry needed special permission due to the upcoming elections.
- There are approximately 34 crore active workers under MGNREGS, and in the financial year 2023-24, the nationwide average days of employment provided per household were 51, falling short of the guaranteed 100 days of work.
