- CM Suvendu Adhikari seeks a Rs 100 hike in the daily wage for rural workers.
- Bengal currently generates around 10 lakh person-days of employment daily.
- The state aims to achieve the target of 22 crore working days under the scheme.
State Bureau, Jagran Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has asked the Centre to raise the daily wage for unskilled workers under the rural employment scheme from Rs 300 to Rs 400. Speaking at Nabanna on Friday during an event marking the release of the second instalment of housing scheme funds, Adhikari said he had raised the demand with Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan during their meeting on Thursday.
The Chief Minister said he had briefly met Chouhan in Bhopal while attending his mother's funeral ceremony. During their interaction, he requested the Union Minister to ensure that unskilled workers in West Bengal receive at least Rs 400 a day.
Why Has Bengal Demanded A Wage Increase?
The demand comes under the Centre's Viksit Bharat–G RAM G (VB-G RAM G) rural employment scheme, which provides a guarantee of 125 days of work annually to rural households.
The current daily wage for unskilled workers in West Bengal under the programme is Rs 300. Since the Centre is responsible for fixing wage rates under the scheme, any increase will require its approval.
Adhikari has urged the Union government to revise the rate to Rs 400, which would provide workers with an additional Rs 100 for every day of employment.
Bengal Reports 1.60 Crore Working Days Of Employment
The Chief Minister also shared figures on employment generation under the scheme. According to him, the state is currently generating around 10 lakh working days. West Bengal recorded 1.60 crore working days over the past week, he said. The state government is now working towards meeting the scheme's target of 22 crore working days at the earliest.
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Adhikari described the employment figures as significant and said the government was working to expand job opportunities in rural areas.