MGNREGA workers of Jharkhand block return Rs 5 wage hike to Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday May 01,2016.

As a mark of protest, MGNREGA workers in Manika block of Latehar have in separate envelopes returned their Rupees five "meagre" wage hike to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday May 01,2016.

Enclosing the money with a letter, the workers affiliated to the Gram Swaraj Mazdoor Sangh "expressed concern" at the "meagre" hike as they felt that the central government was facing "paucity of funds", otherwise the wages would have definitely increased in tune with Jharkhand's minimum daily wage which is Rs 212.

The minimum wage under centrally-sponsored MGNREGA in Jharkhand is Rs 162 and after the hike it stands at Rs 167.

"...but we are fortunate that increase in 17 other states was less than five rupees. It appears that the labourers in Odisha have become prosperous as their wages have not been increased," the letter said.


Note

Haryana offers the highest daily wage rate of Rs 251 for unskilled manual workers under the MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) scheme that promises job guarantee to unemployed for 100 days in a year. Kerala (Rs 229), Punjab (Rs 210), Goa (Rs 208) and Karnataka (Rs 204) are the other states where the daily wage rate is above Rs 200. On the other hand, Chhattisgarh & MP offer the lowest daily wages of Rs 159, followed by Uttarakhand & UP at Rs 161 and Jharkhand & Bihar at Rs 162.