NEW DELHI: The Congress slammed the Narendra Modi government on Thursday after it notified the revised MGNREGS wages for 2024-25, saying the daily wage rates in all states are well below the Rs 400 a day promised by the opposition party under its "Shramik NYAY" guarantees.
The BJP-led Centre has reportedly notified the revised wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
In a post on X, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said: "Congratulations to MNREGA workers! The Prime Minister has increased your salary by Rs 7. Now he might ask you, 'What will you do with such a huge amount of money?' And by spending Rs 700 crore, they could also start a 'Thank you Modi' campaign in your name," he said.
"Those who are angry with this immense generosity of Modi ji, should remember -- the INDIA government is going to increase the wages of every labourer to Rs 400 per day on the first day," Gandhi said on the microblogging platform.
In another post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the MGNREGA wages are revised annually with effect from April 1.
"For 2024/25, the Modi government has just announced revised MGNREGA wages. Leaving aside the issue of whether this violates the spirit of the Model Code of Conduct in view of the forthcoming elections, the announced daily wage rates in ALL states are well below the Rs 400 a day, which is part of the 'Shramik NYAY' guarantees of the Indian National Congress," he said.
The Congress's "Shramik NYAY" announcement guarantees a nationwide minimum wage of Rs 400 per day to put an end to wage stagnation.
As part of the "Shramik NYAY" guarantees, the Congress has also promised a comprehensive review of the Modi government's labour codes and suitable amendments to strengthen labour rights.