Jaipur, May 2 -- Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the alleged "poor condition" of the labourers and their low payment rates in Rajasthan compared to many other states. Speaking to reporters, he said, "Today is the International labourers' day. It is marked to unite all the labourers in the world. But their situation is very serious today. It is really unfortunate that they are not even getting their minimum deserving wage. The average wage amount in Rajasthan is one of the lowest among all the states in India." Referring to the recent protest by labourers in Noida, he added: "We have seen how this protest unfolded in Noida, how people took to the streets to warn the government to take care of the workers. The owners have a duty to ensure the safety of their workers. They also have a moral responsibility, and this situation arises due to their lack of sense of responsibility." Gehlot also cornered the state government for their failure to enforce The Rajasthan Platform Based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Act, 2023 which was tabled and passed by the previous Congress government. "The labourers in the mining areas who have been suffering from silicosis are surviving in a more worrying situation. It is the responsibility of the mining owners there to make the workers aware about the masks they have to wear for their protection or other types of equipment that have come into existence these days, many types of guidelines have come, follow them and keep only those workers there," he said. Gehlot added: "Previously, this disease was treated as a form of tuberculosis in Rajasthan and elsewhere in the country. The Rajasthan government has taken this initiative. Today, it has been identified in Rajasthan as silicosis. We've given packages twice whenever our government came to power, and we get Rs.5 lakh. What can Rs.5 lakh do? Life is lost. But why did anyone get this disease? The main point is this. The government must pay attention to these issues." Meanwhile, on Thursday night, he wrote a letter to chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma asking for immediate action for the upliftment of the labourers. In the letter, he said, "The minimum wage of the unskilled labourers is now only Rs.7,410 while the figure for the skilled labourers is Rs.9,334. It is only 40% growth on their wage in the last one decade while the consumer price index (CPI) has doubled in the country making their real income growth drop to only 20%." He also claimed Rajasthan is now one of the poorest states in the country in labourers' income growth rate, as the growth in a state like Tamil Nadu and Delhi is about 80 to 90%. He also highlighted that some policy changes are needed in Rajasthan, such as the irregular revision of variable dearness allowance (VDA). "While wages are linked to the CPI, revisions are not regular and timely. This leaves workers bearing the full burden of inflation. The Rajasthan government notifies a single rate for all unlisted occupations. Conditions vary across sectors, including agriculture, construction, domestic work, and brick kilns, so specific wage rates should be sector-specific." "Essential items like transportation, health, and education are not yet included in wage calculations, even though their costs are constantly rising. Therefore, these should also be included in wage rate calculations" he wrote. He also demanded the government to make the minimum wage Rs.12,000 to Rs.15,000 monthly which, according to him, would be a realistic figure in view of the inflation rate. "Like Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan should develop a sector-specific wage notification system to establish separate rates for agriculture, construction, handicrafts, domestic services, etc. Transport, health, and education allowances should also be included in wage calculations, as is the practice in many progressive states. Enforcement of the Minimum Wages Act should be strengthened, including the appointment of labour inspectors, digital monitoring systems, and stringent penalties for violations," he told the CM. Reacting to the comments, BJP spokesperson Ram Lal Sharma said, "BJP is committed to the development of the labourers. Gehlot might have forgot how his government corrupted the entire MGNREGA process depriving these poor labourers. It is only our government who brought the VB- G-RAM-G to provide a corruption-free employment facility to them ensuring a minimum wage. Our state governemnt is also coming up with various different policies for their welfare."...