PREFACE

The publication titled “Wage Rates in Rural India”, sixth in the series, contains daily wage rates data relating to 18 agricultural and non-agricultural occupations for the agricultural year 2002-03 (July to June). This data is being collected every month from a fixed set of 600 sample villages spread over 66 NSS regions of 20 States along with rural retail prices utilised in the compilation of consumer price index numbers for agricultural and rural labourers.

These wage rates are compiled and released every month and published in our monthly publication “Indian Labour Journal” since April, 1998. An attempt has been made in this publication to present the data for whole of the year at one place. It is also available on the Bureau’s website  http:/labourbureau.nic.in.

I hope this publication would be useful to Planners, Policy Makers, Economists, Statisticians, Research Scholars, Organisations of both Public and Private and general public at large.

I place on record my appreciation to the officers/staff of the Wage Rate Section (Annexure II) for their efforts in bringing out this publication in time.

Suggestions for improvement in the quality and contents of this publication are welcome.

SHIMLA- 171004                                                                               BALRAM

DATED; February 27, 2004                                         DIRECTOR GENERAL