Aam Aadmi Party’s Rajya Sabha representative, Sanjeev Arora, has brought attention to the pressing issue of revising the wage rate set for Punjab under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
In a statement issued on Monday, the AAP MP emphasized the need for the central government’s intervention to address the existing wage disparity. Arora highlighted that the current daily wage of Rs 303 for unskilled labor in Punjab under MGNREGA is notably lower than the neighboring Haryana, where workers receive 357 per day through the same scheme.
Pointing out this significant gap, Arora stated, “The Punjab state labor department pays unskilled agricultural labor Rs 412.95 per day, surpassing the MGNREGA wage rate. This disparity not only breeds inequality among workers but also undermines the dignity of labor, contradicting the fundamental goals of the MGNREGA program.”
Arora urged the central government to step in and revise the wage rate for Punjab. He stressed the importance of aligning the wage rate with either Haryana’s standards or those set by the Punjab state labor department. “It is imperative that the wage rate is increased to ensure fairness and uphold the principles of the MGNREGA program,” he added.