Ahead of the festive season, Delhi government has raised the minimum wages of workers in the city, with Chief Minister Atishi announcing new rates on Wednesday that are, Rs 18,066 for unskilled workers, Rs 19,929 for semi-skilled, and Rs 21,917 for skilled workers, an official statement said here.

The new rates for graduate workers will be Rs 23,836, and the increased rates will be applicable from October 1.

Highlighting that Delhi is at the top spot in wage rates nationwide, CM Atishi gave its credit to the ten years of AAP’s governance under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal.

She credited Kejriwal’s leadership for improving the lives of the city’s commoners, and promised that the progress will continue in the months to come.

Atishi stated her X handle: “The Delhi government has once again decided to increase the minimum wage in Delhi. Delhi has the highest minimum wage in the entire country. With the new rates applicable from October 1, the minimum wage for unskilled workers has now increased to ₹18,066, semi-skilled workers to ₹19,929 and skilled workers to ₹21,917.”

Addressing a press conference here, she said that Delhi has 24-hour electricity, the cheapest electricity in the country, excellent government schools, free tests and medicines in Mohalla Clinics and free bus travel for women, and now with this historic work, the city will have the highest minimum wage as well, she added.

She further said, “The people who get minimum wages are from the poor class, they are laborers. To stop their exploitation, the Delhi government has worked to take the minimum wage to a historic level. BJP has always worked against the poor. When the Kejriwal government talked about increasing the minimum wage in Delhi in 2016-17, the BJP stopped it through its L-G.”

“Arvind Kejriwal’s government brought an order from the court and started increasing the minimum wage and put a provision in it that, just like the salary of government officers increases twice a year due to DA, it is necessary to increase the minimum wage twice a year,” she added.

Meanwhile, Delhi Labor Minister Mukesh Ahlawat said that under the leadership of Kejriwal and CM Atishi, the government has increased the minimum wages of workers.