Centre revises wages under MGNREGS

NEW DELHI: The Centre has revised wages under its flagship rural jobs scheme -- Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme ( MGNREGS) -- from April 1 to factor in inflation.

The maximum wage of Rs 214 has been fixed for Haryana and a minimum of Rs 135 for the northeastern states, an official release said on Tuesday.

It claimed that MGNREGS has benefited women and unskilled labourers the most and has also had a positive impact on agricultural wages and wages in general in rural areas, which had been stagnant for a long time.

The National Sample Survey Office's 66th round confirms that the MGNREGS has reduced the traditional gender wage discrimination, which was apparent in several states across the country, the release said.

An average of five crore households have been given employment every year since 2008.

Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes account for 50 per cent of the total person-days generated.