Parliament Question: Increase in Wages and Days under MGNREGS

O.I.H. GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2980 ANSWERED ON 10/03/2026 INCREASE IN WAGES AND DAYS UNDER MGNREGS 2980. Shri Chhotelal: Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government proposes to increase the wages under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) from Rs. 400 to Rs. 500 and increase the minimum days of work from 125 days to 200 days, if so, the details thereof; and (b) whether the Government proposes to employ the workers for agricultural works for 50 days, so that both the labourers and farmers also get benefited? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN) (a): As per Section 6 (1) of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (Mahatma Gandhi NREGA), 2005, the Central Government may by notification specify the wage rate for unskilled work for its beneficiaries. Accordingly, the Ministry of Rural Development notifies Mahatma Gandhi NREGA wage rate for every financial year for States/UTs. To compensate the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA workers against inflation, the Ministry of Rural Development revises the wage rate every year based on change in Consumer Price Index for Agricultural Labour (CPI-AL). The wage rate is made applicable from 1st April of each financial year. Using the present methodology of wage rate calculation, the central government has notified the wage rate and it has increased by around 5% (average) over the last year and around 29% (average) in the previous 5 years. However, State Governments can provide Page 1 of 2wages over and above the wage rate notified by the Central Government from its own sources. With regard to increasing the number of working days, it is submitted that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (Mahatma Gandhi NREGA), 2005, is an Act to provide for the enhancement of livelihood security of the households in rural areas of the country by providing at least one hundred days of guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. The Ministry mandates the provision of an additional 50 days of wage employment (beyond the stipulated 100 days) to every Scheduled Tribe Household in a forest area, provided that these households have no other private property except for the land rights provided under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006. In addition to this, there is a provision for providing up to an additional 50 days of wage employment in a financial year in drought/natural calamity-affected notified rural areas. Further, as per Section 3(4) of the Act, the State Governments may make provision for providing additional days of employment beyond the period guaranteed under the Act from their own funds. Here it is also stated that under Viksit Bharat- Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Grameen): VB - G RAM G Act, 2025, the guaranteed days of wage employment has been increased from 100 days to 125 days. (b): There is no such proposal. However, eligible farmers and their family members in rural areas can demand employment under the works which are currently permissible under MGNREGA. ***** Page 2 of 2