West Bengal Assembly Polls 2021: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday announced a hike in wages of the daily wage workers an hour before the model code of conduct by the Election Commission is set to kick in the state.

The Election Commission is all set to announce poll dates for the West Bengal Assembly Election at 4:30 PM through a press conference. Notably, the model of code of conduct (MCC), which prohibits the state government from making any new policy announcements, will kick in as soon as the EC declares the dates for the assembly polls.

Just an hour before the MCC kicks in, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced the hike in minimum wages for daily wage labourers.

Taking to Twitter, Mamata Banerjee said that she is pleased to announce a hike in the wages of daily wage workers under WB Urban Employment Scheme. As per the announcement from the state government, unskilled workers will now receive Rs 202 per day from Rs 144 earlier wage. And semi-skilled workers will receive Rs 303 from Rs 172 earlier wage. Moreover, for skilled workers, the wage has been increased to Rs 404.

Taking to Twitter, Mamata said a total of 56,500 workers (40,500 unskilled, 8000 semi-skilled, 8000 skilled) will benefit from this announcement. She said that these wages are in parity with rural workers’ enhanced pay (MNREGA unskilled & semi-skilled). “ The budget provision for this step has been made available for both FY21 & FY22,” West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said in a tweet.