The Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court has instructed the state government to organize a meeting with all relevant stakeholders to address the issue of classifying minimum wages based on different zones within the state. This directive emerged during a hearing on Thursday, where the court engaged with a plea from industrial organizations advocating for a regionally sensitive minimum wage system.
Justices Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Duppala Venkata Ramana presided over the session where a representative from the labor department confirmed the government’s willingness to set varied minimum wages tailored to specific industries and possibly, different geographic zones. The plea, filed in April, highlights the need for wage adjustments that reflect the economic conditions of various industries and regional living costs.
The court’s response was to mandate a structured dialogue involving the state government, petitioners, and other key stakeholders. “The respondent/state is directed to convene a meeting with the petitioners and all stakeholders for consideration of classification region-wise after issuing proper notices informing them about the date, time, and venue,” the court specified. It also set a two-month deadline to finalize the industry-wise and region-wise classifications following these discussions.
State Labour Minister Prahlad Patel, while speaking at a meeting in Indore, expressed the government’s readiness to explore industry-specific wage standards but indicated hesitance regarding zonal classifications. “We are not yet ready to classify it according to different zones, but we can consider it,” Patel stated, reflecting a cautious approach to the comprehensive restructuring of wage policies.
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Girish Patwardhan, representing the Madhya Pradesh Textile Mills Association and one of the petitioners, emphasized the practical necessity of this move. He pointed out the significant variations in living costs across the state, arguing, “The cost of living varies in different zones of the state. Therefore, it is unfair to fix a uniform minimum wage for all zones.”
