Just an hour before the Election Commission of India announced poll dates for West Bengal and four other states, chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced a hike in wages of daily wage workers under the state’s urban employment scheme.
The model of code of conduct, which prohibits the state government from making any new policy announcements, kicks in as soon as the dates are announced. As per the new WB Urban Employment Scheme, an unskilled labourer in West Bengal will now be paid Rs 202 per day instead of Rs 144.
A semi-skilled worker, who was earlier paid Rs 172, will now get Rs 303 per day. A skilled worker, a new category introduced in the new policy, will be paid Rs 404 per day. Miss Banerjee said that a total of 56,500 workers (40,500 unskilled, 8,000 semi-skilled, 8,000 skilled) will benefit from this move.
“I am pleased to announce a hike in the wages of daily wage workers under WB Urban Employment Scheme: To Rs 202 per day from Rs 144 earlier for unskilled labour, to Rs 303 from Rs 172 earlier for semi-skilled, Rs 404 for skilled labour (new category introduced),” she tweeted.
“A total of 56,500 workers (40,500 unskilled, 8,000 semiskilled, 8,000 skilled) will benefit from this. These wages are in parity with rural workers’ enhanced pay (MNREGA unskilled & semiskilled). Budget provision for this step has been made available for both FY21 & FY22,” she said in another tweet.
Meanwhile, the state government has come up with Satyendranath Tagore Civil Services Study Centre in the city to provide free training to candidates to prepare for the UPSC Civil Services Examination Personality Test.
All students who have appeared for UPSC Civil Services Mains Examination 2020 and wish to avail this facility have to get in touch through email-sntagorecssc@gmail.com and message -9433123843. Free residential facilities will be provided to up to 100 students along with stipends during training.