Mull parity between NREGA & state minimum wages, SC tells Centre
Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, January 23
The Supreme Court today asked the Centre to try and align the wages under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) with the minimum wages prevailing in various states.

A Bench comprising Justices Cyriac Joseph and Gyan Sudha Misra made the suggestion while staying a Karnataka High Court order directing the Centre to pay arrears to NREGS workers in the state as they were entitled to more wages under the state laws relating to minimum wages. The Centre had come to the SC, challenging the HC order passed on September 23, 2011.

“Why don’t you do it yourself after taking into consideration the minimum wages prevailing in various states,” the Bench told Solicitor General Rohinton Nariman, who appeared for the Centre.

Since the rural job scheme of the Centre was for the benefit of the poor, the wages under it should be at par with the minimum wages in the respective states, the Bench reasoned.

The Bench issued notice to various labour unions, seeking their response to the Centre’s plea within two weeks. The Centre contended that the HC order had placed a huge financial burden amounting to about Rs 7,500 crore.

The wages under NREGS vary between Rs 118 and Rs 181 from state to state. This rate is higher than the minimum wages in 14 states, but lower than the notified wages in six states.