The center describes the salary modification as “routine” and is expected to inform MGNREGS

According to reports on Thursday, the Election Commission has given the Rural Development Ministry permission to announce changes to salary rates under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), given the current election situation.

Ministry officials said that it is a “routine” affair and that ministries ask the EC for permissions when the model code is in place, despite their refusal to comment on the topic given that the model code of conduct (MCC) was put in place after the announcement of the Lok Sabha election schedule.

A source claims that beginning on April 1, rate adjustments will be announced for the next fiscal year.

Rate revision is a regular procedure that begins on April 1 of each fiscal year.

The EC has granted the ministry authorization to inform it, the person added.

According to sub-section (1) of section 6 of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, the Central government may establish the salary rate for its beneficiaries by notice, and this is how the Center sets salaries for the flagship plan.

In a letter to the poll panel, retired IAS officer EAS Sarma stated that although a similar clearance was granted in 2019 for informing MGNREGA wage changes, the poll panel had instructed that no media attention be given to the hike, that no political functionaries make reference to it, and that the restriction was placed on both the Center and the states.

“I’m certain that comparable requirements were included in the Commission’s most recent approval.

In his letter to the two electoral commissioners and Chief electoral Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, he said, “If not, the Commission must impose such restrictions.”

He said that the most recent pay adjustment was “all over the press” and that it seemed the relevant Ministry had broken the MCC by purposefully or in some other way providing the facts to the media.

May I request that the Commission look into this immediately and, if needed, take commendable action?” In addition, he requested that the poll panel place limitations on political officials, similar to what was done in 2019, and forbid them from discussing the pay increase or allowing parties to display posters using their images.

Notice of the most recent change to MGNREGA pay was given on March 24, 2023.

The range of state-to-state pay increases was two percent to ten percent.

Manipur, Goa, Meghalaya, and Karnataka were some of the states with the lowest percentage salary increases.

The state of Rajasthan experienced the most percentage rise in MNREGA salaries.

In contrast to Rs 231 in 2022, the revised tariff for Rajasthan was Rs 255.

With rate increases of almost 8% from 2022 forward, Bihar and Jharkhand ranked second in terms of percentage salary increases.

An MNREGA worker in these two states earned Rs 210 in 2022; in 2023, that amount rose to Rs 228.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj noted the wide range of variation in MGNREGS wages among states and stated that the wages were inadequate and out of line with the growing cost of living in a report that was presented to Parliament earlier this year.

The panel also cited the findings of the Anoop Satpathy commission, a Central government commission that examined minimum salaries and suggested that the daily salary under MGNREGA be Rs 375.