Centre gets week to explain wages

By S A Ishaqui
Hyderaba,Nov 9 : Justice Nooty Ramamohana Rao of the AP High Court on Monday granted a week’s time to the Centre to explain how it could declare that the wages payable to workers under the National Rural Guarantee Scheme can be lower than the wages fixed under the Minimum Wages Act.

The judge was dealing with a writ petition and contempt case filed by AP Vyavasaya Vruthidarula (Agriculture Workers) Union. The petitioners challenged the notification issued by the Centre in fixing `80 as the minimum rate payable to workers in the beginning under NREGA.

They contended that the notifications issued by the state government under Minimum Wages Act stipulated the minimum wage payable to agricultural labourers in Vishakhapatnam area as `119.