The Center has notified new wage rates under the Rural Employment Guarantee Program (NREGA) for the financial year 2022-23. Out of 34 states and union territories, 21 states have shown an increase of less than 5 per cent and 10 states have increased by more than 5 per cent. There is no change in the wage rates of three states (Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura). NREGA wages have been increased from Rs 4 to Rs 21 per day in 31 states and union territories for 2022-23. The increased rates will be applicable from April 1.
Among the 31 states and union territories (which saw an increase in wages), Goa has recorded the maximum growth of 7.14%. The wage rate has been increased from Rs 294 per day in 2021-22 to Rs 315 per day in 2022-23. The lowest increase of 1.77% is in Meghalaya where the new wage rate has been fixed at Rs 230 per day from the existing Rs 226 per day.
Apart from Meghalaya, two other states (Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland) have also seen an increase of less than 2 per cent in NREGA wages. NREGS wages have been increased by 2-3 per cent in Assam, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. In Maharashtra, Odisha, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu wages have been increased by 3-4 per cent. Whereas Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have increased by 4-5 per cent.
Only 10 states have seen an increase of more than 5 per cent. These states include Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep, Kerala, Karnataka and Goa.
The NREGA wage rate is Rs 213 per day for both Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, Rs 216 for Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, Rs 222 for Odisha, Rs 223 for West Bengal and Rs 227 for Jammu and Kashmir. MGNREGA wage rates are fixed according to changes in CPI-AL (Consumer Price Index- Agriculture labour), which reflects an increase in inflation in rural areas.