NREGA wages vs minimum wages: PM vs Jairam by Ravish Tiwari

With less than a week left, the UPA government seems to be split on the issue of appealing against the Karnataka High Court’s order stating that wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act have to be fixed as per Minimum Wages Act.

The Special Leave Petition challenging the High Court order has to be filed by December 23. But while PM Manmohan Singh and the Finance Ministry are of the view that the government cannot be ordered to pay minimum wages since Section 6 of NREGA empowers the central government to fix the wages without bothering about the Minimum Wages Act, Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh is strongly in favour of complying with the HC order. The Sonia Gandhi-led NAC supports Ramesh’s view.

Meanwhile, top law officers have also given diametrically opposite views on the issue. Last year, Additional Solicitor General Indira Jaising said minimum wages should be paid, an opinion that was supported by Attorney General Goolam E Vahanvati. But Additional Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran recently advised filing of an SLP. However, sources said Parasaran has now told the government that law officers should speak in one voice and so he was recalling his opinion.

Sources said the PMO is expected to hold a meeting to take a final call.