Bhubaneswar, Sept. 4: The Naveen Patnaik government has been sitting over the proposal for minimum wage revision due since last year.

The delay in decision has not only irked the trade union leaders, who resigned from the State Level Minimum Wage Advisory Board last week, but also triggered concern among the political parties, including the BJD. The issue figured in the Assembly with members expressing concern at the inordinate delay.

The minimum wage rate, fixed by the state government in 2009, is low compared to other states. The wage rate for unskilled labourers in Odisha stands at Rs 92.50 paisa against Rs 186 in Andhra Pradesh, Rs 162 in Bengal, Rs 159 in Chhattisgarh and Rs 147 in Jharkhand.

A wage earner under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme is getting Rs 125 per day in the state.

The gap is too glaring, compared to the wage fixed by the central government and other advanced states. While the Centre has fixed the minimum wage at Rs 205, labourers are getting Rs 254 in Punjab and Rs 187 in Madhya Pradesh.

The Telegraph in its April 11 edition had published a detailed report highlighting migration of workforce because of the lower wages in the state vis-à-vis other states.

On April 20, the state labour department proposed to fix minimum wage for unskilled workers at Rs 125 per day and invited objections from the public and trade unions within two months. In August 2011, the board had recommended minimum wage of Rs 190 for unskilled non-agricultural workers and Rs 162 for agricultural labourers.

Sources said though the trade unions and mass organisations suggested for revision of wage up to Rs 280, the state government pegged the rate at 126, a rupee higher than it had proposed earlier.

The matter has been pending at the level of chief minister since July.

Last week, all the trade union leaders resigned from the board in protest against the “inordinate delay”.

The BJD members, who voiced their concern in the Assembly today, urged for early notification.

“The state government has taken all the steps for wage revision and the people are anxiously waiting for the final decision. The government should effect the revision keeping in mind the local conditions, consumer price index and wage rate in other states,” said former finance minister Prafulla Chandra Ghadei, raising the issue during Zero Hour.

Echoing him, Ranendra Pratap Swain (BJD) demanded fixing of the minimum wage at Rs 160 per day. CPI MLA Adikanda Sethi said the wage rate should be fixed keeping in mind the inflation.

Members of the Congress and the BJP also supported the demand for wage revision. But, they wanted revision of minimum support price for paddy too.

“The state government should revise the minimum wage, which has been long overdue. Besides, it should also hike the minimum support price for paddy,” said Congress chief whip Prasad Harichandan.