The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Monday directed the Uttar Pradesh government to clarify whether it had issued any official notification mandating the payment of minimum wages to workers employed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
A division bench comprising Justice Rajan Roy and Justice A.K. Chaudhary passed the order while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in 2023, which seeks parity in wages for MGNREGA workers with those prescribed for agricultural labourers under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948.
The bench observed that the minimum wage notified by the state under Section 3 of the 1948 Act must be paid to MGNREGA workers as they fall within the definition of agricultural labourers. It noted that the current daily wage being paid in Uttar Pradesh under MGNREGA is ₹230 — an amount that is reportedly lower than the applicable minimum wage under the state’s own notification.
“It is informed that the wages being paid as on date in the State are ₹230 per day, which is less than the minimum wages fixed by the State under the Act, 1948. However, the notification or decision under Section 3 of the Act, 1948 pertaining to the agricultural labourers is not on record,” the court stated.
Seeking clarity on the issue, the court has asked the state government to place on record the relevant notification, if any, and posted the matter for further hearing on January 21.
The outcome of this case may have significant implications for wage policy under MGNREGA in Uttar Pradesh, where millions rely on the scheme for livelihood support.
