Delhi L-G approves AAP govt's minimum wages bill with proposed 37% hike

Delhi lieutenant governor Anil Baijal approved Aam Aadmi Party government's minimum wages bill for unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled persons in the national capital on Friday. 

The Arvind Kejriwal cabinet had announced the decision on February 25 advocating a 37% hike in minimum wages. 

During the announcement, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had said his government has cleared all recommendations of a 15-member committee set up by former L-G Najeeb Jung last year to revise the minimum wages. 

This was the second time the AAP government had approved an increase in the minimum wages. 

The former L-G had in September declared the recommendations of a government-appointed committee as "null and void", saying the AAP dispensation did not seek his prior approval to form the panel. 

As per the cabinet's decision, the minimum wages for unskilled persons will be Rs 13,350 per month against the existing Rs 9,724 per month. For semi-skilled and skilled persons, it will increase from Rs 10,764 to Rs 14,698 and from Rs 11,830 to Rs 16,182 per month respectively. 

"This is the first time in the country that revision of the minimum wages is proposed on the basis a scientific method. It will be the biggest gift for workers on the occasion of Holi," the CM had said at a press conference at his official residence in Civil Lines area. 

The government-appointed committee had approved a 50% increase in the minimum wages -- Rs 14,052 for unskilled person, Rs 15,471 for semi-skilled and Rs 17,033 for skilled person per month. 

"There is a difference of Rs 600-700 between the recommendations of the two committees. We could have implemented the previous committee's recommendations, but we did not want any fight with former L-G. 

"We would have made some changes in the recommendations of second committee but we avoided any hurdles in implementing the cabinet decision and in view of this, we have approved the recommendations without any changes," he said.