Well digging highest paid job in agricultural sector

New Delhi, July 14 (UNI) Well digging is the highest paid job among agriculture occupations for men in rural India after ploughing and sowing, with Kerala paying the highest daily wage and Madhya Pradesh paying the lowest, the latest figures reveal.

The Rural Labour Enquiry Data released by the Labour Bureau for 2004-05 says the average daily wage rate in this occupation at all-India level varied from Rs 90.62 in July 2004 to Rs 80.65 in May 2005.

Among women, the harvesting occupation fetched the maximum wages followed by transplanting and well digging. The all-India average daily wage rate for women in harvesting occupation ranged between Rs 48.67 in November 2004 and Rs 53.66 in June 2005.

The average daily wage rates for women were found to be generally lower than those for men in most of the occupations.

Herds-keeping was observed to be the least remunerative occupation for all categories of workers. The annual average daily wage rates for men and women in this occupation were as low as Rs 41.51 and Rs 31.68 respectively during 2004-05.

The wage rate data under the Rural Wage Enquiry is collected in respect of 11 agricultural occupations and seven non-agricultural occupations entailing manual work from a fixed set of 600 sample villages spread over 20 states since July 1986 for each agricultural year.

The enquiry provides data on the working and living conditions of agriculture and rural labourers. It is useful in enforcing minimum wage, framing of wage policy and estimation of State Domestic Product/National Income and Cost of Cultivation studies.

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