The opposition in Gujarat Vidhan Sabha alleged that employees working in the Chief Minister’s Office, the Assembly and the MLA quarters are not even paid the minimum wage. This was in context of the House discussing issues of fixed salary, outsourcing and contract-based employees.

The opposition demanded a decent salary for the employees, including Asha workers, Anganwadi sisters, sanitation workers, multipurpose health workers, and home guards.

Many employees have filed petitions in the high court and the Supreme Court demanding that the benefits of minimum wage, gratuity, and provident funds be made permanent, the opposition stated, seeking a positive solution from the state government in this direction.

Carrying forward the discussion, Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani noted that the state government had increased the minimum wage for agricultural labourers to ₹476 per day from ₹375 per day after 23 years.

However, Mevani alleged that workers are still paid ₹375 per day by the sugarcane mafia which doesn’t pay heed to the government circular.

He added that a sugarcane worker works for an average of five to six months. According to a trade union survey, the number of such sugarcane workers in the state is 1.5 lakh. If they are still paid ₹375 per day, it translates to ₹550 crore of unpaid wages over a year.

He also mentioned that many of these workers suffer from silicosis (a lung disease caused by inhaling silica dust). To prevent this, the Human Rights Commission issued special guidelines in 2017.

The opposition pointed out that BJP-led Rajasthan, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh have formulated specific policies, but Gujarat has shown little to no interest in this matter.