The Jammu & Kashmir government has revised minimum wages for workers across all skill categories, including unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled and highly skilled, in an effort to address rising inflation and cost-of-living pressures. The decision reflects adjustments made under the national minimum wage structure as notified by the Government of India, which aims to protect workers from the effects of inflation.
Replying to a question in the Legislative Assembly, the government said the revisions are based on changes to the Variable Dearness Allowance (VDA), linked to the Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW), and form part of periodic updates to wage rates. The revised minimum wages, effective from October 1, 2024, include both basic wage and VDA components, and apply to workers employed in the unorganised sector as well as scheduled employments. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
Officials also said that the Code on Wages, 2019 — which subsumes the earlier Minimum Wages Act, 1948 — has come into force across India, including in Jammu & Kashmir, providing for a national floor wage and mechanisms for future periodic revisions. The current wage structure will remain operative until October 2027, while further adjustments will be introduced when the national floor wage under the Code on Wages is notified for the Union Territory. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
