Gujarat Govt denying minimum wages to its own workers? Oppn slams BJP

Gandhinagar : In a shocking revelation, the opposition in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly has accused the state government of failing to pay even the minimum wage to employees working in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), the Assembly, and MLA quarters. This explosive allegation surfaced during a discussion on fixed salary, outsourcing, and contract-based employment in the House, exposing the BJP-led government’s indifference toward its own workforce.

Opposition leaders demanded immediate salary reforms for Asha workers, Anganwadi sisters, sanitation workers, multipurpose health workers, and home guards, many of whom continue to work under exploitative conditions. Several employees have already taken the fight to the courts, filing petitions in both the Gujarat High Court and the Supreme Court to secure minimum wage, gratuity, and provident fund benefits—basic rights that should have been ensured long ago.

Government’s Own Rules Ignored?

Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani slammed the Gujarat government for its hypocrisy, pointing out that even though the state recently increased the minimum wage for agricultural laborers to ₹476 per day from ₹375 after 23 years, the reality on the ground remains grim.

“The so-called minimum wage increase is nothing but a sham. Sugarcane workers in Gujarat are still being paid ₹375 per day—openly defying the government’s own circular. The government refuses to act against this mafia,” Mevani thundered in the Assembly.

A trade union survey estimates that 1.5 lakh sugarcane workers in Gujarat are affected by this exploitation. If each worker is underpaid by ₹101 per day, the total unpaid wages amount to a staggering ₹550 crore annually.

Workers Suffering from Deadly Diseases

The exploitation doesn’t stop at wages. Many sugarcane workers suffer from silicosis, a fatal lung disease caused by inhaling silica dust. Despite the Human Rights Commission issuing special guidelines in 2017 to protect these workers, Gujarat’s BJP government has done nothing to implement them.

“Other BJP-led states like Rajasthan, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh have introduced special policies to protect workers. But Gujarat, despite its claims of being a ‘model state,’ has shown zero interest in worker welfare,” the opposition alleged.

Will the Gujarat Govt Act or Continue to Ignore Its Own Workers?

The revelations have sparked outrage, raising serious questions about labor rights violations under BJP rule. If the government cannot even ensure minimum wages for its own employees, how can it be trusted to uphold labor laws for the private sector?