Complete Guide: Revised Minimum Wages & VDA (April 2026)
The Ministry of Labour & Employment, Office of the Chief Labour Commissioner(C), New Delhi, has revised the Variable Dearness Allowance (VDA) effective from 01.04.2026. This revision is based on the Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers, which reached 424.80 (Base 2016=100), reflecting an increase of 11.28 points.
1. Agriculture Sector
Minimum wage rates for employees in Agriculture:
| Category | Area A (Basic + VDA) | Area B (Basic + VDA) | Area C (Basic + VDA) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unskilled | 333+195=528 | 303+180=483 | 300+178=478 |
| Semi-Skilled/Unskilled Supervisory | 364+214=578 | 335+195=530 | 307+181=488 |
| Skilled/Clerical | 395+232=627 | 364+214=578 | 334+195=529 |
| Highly Skilled | 438+256=694 | 407+238=645 | 364+214=578 |
2. Mining Sector (Non-Coal)
Includes Gypsum, Bauxite, Iron Ore, Copper, and other specified mines:
| Category | Above Ground (Basic + VDA) | Below Ground (Basic + VDA) |
|---|---|---|
| Unskilled | 350+206=556 | 437+256=693 |
| Semi-Skilled/Unskilled Supervisory | 437+256=693 | 523+304=827 |
| Skilled/Clerical | 523+304=827 | 610+354=964 |
| Highly Skilled | 610+354=964 | 683+395=1078 |
3. Construction & Infrastructure
Applicable to roads, building operations, and underground cabling work:
| Category | Area A (Total) | Area B (Total) | Area C (Total) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unskilled | 523+304=827 | 437+256=693 | 350+206=556 |
| Semi-Skilled/Unskilled Supervisory | 579+339=918 | 494+287=781 | 410+240=650 |
| Skilled/Clerical | 637+371=1008 | 579+339=918 | 494+287=781 |
| Highly Skilled | 693+401=1094 | 637+371=1008 | 579+339=918 |
4. Specialized Services
Rates for loading/unloading, sweeping, and cleaning services:
| Sector | Area A (Total) | Area B (Total) | Area C (Total) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loading & Unloading | 523+304=827 | 437+256=693 | 350+206=556 |
| Sweeping & Cleaning | 523+304=827 | 437+256=693 | 350+206=556 |
5. Watch & Ward (Security)
Minimum wages for security personnel:
| Category | Area A (Total) | Area B (Total) | Area C (Total) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Without Arms | 637+371=1008 | 579+339=918 | 494+287=781 |
| With Arms | 693+401=1094 | 637+371=1008 | 579+339=918 |
6. Stone Mines (Piece Rate)
Specific piece rates for excavation and stone crushing:
| Item of Work | Basic + VDA | Total (Rs.) |
|---|---|---|
| Excavation (Soft Soil) | 351+209 | 560 |
| Excavation (Soft Soil with rock) | 531+310 | 841 |
| Excavation (Rock) | 703+410 | 1113 |
| Stone Crushing (1.0" to 1.5") | 2171+1243 | 3414 |
Classification of Areas
Area 'A' Cities
| Ahmedabad (UA) | Hyderabad (UA) | Faridabad complex | (M.Corpn) |
| Bangaluru (UA) | Kanpur (UA) | Ghaziabad (UA) | Delhi (UA) |
| Chennai (UA) | Noida | Greater Mumbai (UA) | Nagpur (UA) |
| Secunderabad | Kolkata (UA) | Lucknow (UA) | Gurgaon (M. Corpn) |
| Navi Mumbai (UA) | Pune (UA) |
Area 'B' Cities
| Agra (UA) | Gwalior (UA) | Port Blair (UA) | Ajmer (UA) |
| Hubli-Dharwad (M. Corpn) | Puducherry (UA) | Aligarh (UA) | Indore (UA) |
| Raipur (UA) | Allahabad (UA) | Jabalpur (UA) | Raurkela (UA) |
| Amravati (M.Corpn) | Jaipur (M.Corpn) | Rajkot (UA) | Amritsar (UA) |
| Jalandhar (UA) | Ranchi (UA) | Asansol (UA) | Jalandhar-Cantt. (UA) |
| Saharanpur (M.Corpn) | Aurangabad (UA) | Jammu (UA) | Salem (UA) |
| Bareilly (UA) | Jamnagar (UA) | Sangli (UA) | Belgaum (UA) |
| Jamshedpur (UA) | Shillong | Bhavnagar (UA) | Jhansi (UA) |
| Siliguri (UA) | Bhiwandi (UA) | Jodhpur (UA) | Solapur (M.Corpn) |
| Bhopal (UA) | Kannur (UA) | Srinagar (UA) | Bhubaneshwar (UA) |
| Kochi (UA) | Surat (UA) | Bikaner (M.Corpn) | Kolhapur (UA) |
| Thiruvanantapuram (UA) | Bokaro Steel City (UA) | Kollam (UA) | Thrissur (UA) |
| Chandigarh (UA) | Kota (M.Corpn) | Tiruchirappalli (UA) | Coimbatore (UA) |
| Kozhikode (UA) | Tiruppur (UA) | Cuttack (UA) | Ludhiana (M.Corpn) |
| Ujjain (M.Corpn) | Dehradun (UA) | Madurai (UA) | Vadodara (UA) |
| Dhanbad (UA) | Malappuram (UA) | Varanasi (UA) | Durgapur (UA) |
| Malegaon (UA) | Vasai- Virar City (M.Corpn) | Durg-Bhilai Nagar (UA) | Mangalore (UA) |
| Vijayawada (UA) | Erode (UA) | Meerut (UA) | Vishakhapatnam (M.Corpn) |
| Firozabad | Moradabad (M. Corpn) | Warangal (UA) | Goa |
| Mysore (UA) | Gorakhpur (UA) | Nanded Waghala (M. Corpn) | Nasik (UA) |
| Nellore (UA) | Guntur (UA) | Panchkula (UA) | Guwahati (UA) |
| Patna (UA) | Greater Visakhapatnam (M.Corpn) | Gulbarga (UA) |
Note: Area 'C' comprises all areas not mentioned in the list above.
Educational Purpose Only: The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only.
Accuracy & Mistakes: While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, human errors or omissions may occur.
No Liability: Under no circumstances shall the author or this website be held liable for any loss arising from the use of this information.
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