The Delhi Cabinet on Monday approved a hike in minimum wages of skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers in the Capital. The approval also covers the minimum daily wages of clerical and non-technical supervisory staff and comes into effect from February 1 this year.
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who chaired the meeting, told the media that the Cabinet has decided to hike the minimum wages by up to 33 per cent. With this, she claimed, the minimum wages in Delhi would be the highest in the country. She said the decisions had been taken to ensure that all the workers get paid “satisfactory wages’’.
Ms. Dikshit declared that the minimum wages of un-skilled labour per day had been increased from Rs.163 to Rs.203. However, in case of semi-skilled workers, the minimum wages would now be Rs.225 per day and in case of skilled labour it will be Rs.248 per day.
An un-skilled labour will get Rs.5,272 per month as per the new decision whereas semi-skilled labour will get Rs.5,850 per month and skilled labour to a minimum of Rs.6,448 per month. In case of clerical and non-technical supervisory staff too the wages per day have been increased.
In case of non-matriculate persons, the wages per day will be Rs.225 with the monthly wages being Rs.5850, in case of matriculate it will be Rs.248 per day with monthly salary of Rs.6,448 and in case of graduate and above, wages per day will Rs.270 with the monthly amount working out to a minimum of Rs.7,020.
The Cabinet also took a decision to constitute nine district Legal Services Authorities so that there is one for every district. Earlier, it was mentioned that there used to be only one authority functioning at Rohini Court Complex, Delhi.
The decision has been taken to cater to the needs of the poor, illiterate and ignorant people and to enhance their accessibility and responsiveness in respect of legal aid and advice. The move, it was said, would help in overcoming legal illiteracy and incapacity of the marginalised to access the legal system.
Each authority would consist of a District Judge as its chairman and other members, possessing such experience and qualifications as may be prescribed by the Delhi Government, would be nominated in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court. The Cabinet had earlier sanctioned nine full-time secretaries at the District Legal Services Authorities along with the ancillary staff.
