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Stone Mines Worker VDA Wages Revised w.e.f. 01.10.2026 | Labour Bureau Order

Revised Wages for Stone Mines Worker 2026

REVISED WAGES FOR STONE MINES WORKERS w.e.f. 01.10.2026

Ministry of Labour & Employment, Labour Bureau, Chandigarh – File No. 6/1/2026-VDA, Dated 30.09.2026

File No. 6/1/2026-VDA

Issuing Authority Labour Bureau, Ministry of Labour & Employment

Issued By Shyam Singh Negi, Director General

Date 30th September 2026

CPI-IW Index

431.42

From 424.80 (Base 2016=100)

VDA Increase

+6.62 points

Over previous quarter

Effective From

01.10.2026

Payable from this date

Stone Size Categories

4 Sizes

1.0 inch to Above 5.0 inches

Revised Variable Dearness Allowance (VDA) w.e.f. 01.10.2026 (Item of Work)

1. Excavation & Removal of Overburden with 50 m Lead / 1.5 m Lift *

(i) Soft Soil ₹218

(ii) Soft Soil with Rock ₹323

(iii) Rock ₹428

2. Removal & Stacking of Rejected Stones with 50 m Lead / 1.5 m Lift *

Rate of VDA ₹174

3. Stone Breaking or Stone Crushing for Stone Size of **

1.0 inch to 1.5 inches ₹1,297

Above 1.5 inches to 3.0 inches ₹1,109

Above 3.0 inches to 5.0 inches ₹654

Above 5.0 inches ₹539

Notes:
* Per 2.831 cubic meters (100 cubic feet)
** Per truck load of 5.662 cubic meters (200 cubic feet)

Minimum Piece Rate Wages (Basic + VDA) w.e.f. 01.10.2026

1. Excavation & Removal of Overburden *

Item Basic VDA Total

(i) Soft Soil ₹351 ₹218 ₹569

(ii) Soft Soil with Rock ₹531 ₹323 ₹854

(iii) Rock ₹703 ₹428 ₹1,131

2. Removal & Stacking of Rejected Stones *

Item Basic VDA Total

Rate ₹283 ₹174 ₹457

3. Stone Breaking or Stone Crushing **

Stone Size Basic VDA Total

1.0" to 1.5" ₹2,171 ₹1,297 ₹3,468

Above 1.5" to 3.0" ₹1,857 ₹1,109 ₹2,966

Above 3.0" to 5.0" ₹1,088 ₹654 ₹1,742

Above 5.0" ₹893 ₹539 ₹1,432

Notes:
* Per 2.831 cubic meters (100 cubic feet)
** Per truck load of 5.662 cubic meters (200 cubic feet)

Minimum Guaranteed Time Rate Provision

The workers employed on minimum guaranteed time rate of wages per day shall be entitled to time rate of minimum wages plus special allowance, if any, for unskilled category of above ground workers.
This time rate is revised from time to time by the Central Government in respect of scheduled employment in stone mines.

Classification & Legal Reference

Worker Classification: As per Notification No. S.O. 189(E) dated 19th January 2017 of the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
Legal Basis: Issued in pursuance of sub-section (2) of Section 69 of the Code on Wages, 2019 (29 of 2019).
Issued By: Shyam Singh Negi, Director General, Labour Bureau, Chandigarh.
Date of Issue: 30th September 2026.

Area Classification (Annexure I)

Area "A" – Metro Cities

Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Faridabad, Bengaluru, Kanpur, Ghaziabad, Delhi, Chennai, Noida, Greater Mumbai, Nagpur, Secunderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Gurgaon, Navi Mumbai, Pune.

Area "B" – Major Cities (incl. Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Rourkela)

Agra, Gwalior, Port Blair, Ajmer, Hubli-Dharwad, Puducherry, Aligarh, Indore, Raipur, Allahabad, Jabalpur, Raurkela, Amravati, Jaipur, Rajkot, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ranchi, Asansol, Jalandhar-Cantt., Saharanpur, Aurangabad, Jammu, Salem, Bareilly, Jarnagar, Sangli, Belgaum, Jamshedpur, Shillong, Bhavnagar, Jhansi, Siliguri, Bhiwandi, Jodhpur, Solapur, Bhopal, Kannur, Srinagar, Bhubaneshwar, Kochi, Surat, Bikaner, Kolhapur, Thiruvanantapuram, Bokaro Steel City, Kollam, Thrissur, Chandigarh, Kota, Tiruchirappalli, Coimbatore, Kozhikode, Tiruppur, Cuttack, Ludhiana, Ujjain, Dehradun, Madurai, Vadodara, Dhanbad, Malappuram, Varanasi, Durgapur, Malegaon, Vasai-Virar City, Durg-Bhilai Nagar, Mangalore, Vijayawada, Erode, Meerut, Vishakhapatnam, Firozabad, Moradabad, Warangal, Goa, Mysore, Gorakhpur, Nanded Waghala, Greater Visakhapatnam, Nasik, Gulbarga, Nellore, Guntur, Panchkula, Guwahati, Patna.

Area "C" – All Other Areas

Area "C" shall comprise all areas not mentioned in Area A and Area B, but to which the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 extends.

Note: U.A. means Urban Agglomeration.

Important Points to Note

Effective Date: Revised VDA is payable from 01.10.2026.
CPI-IW Index: Average CPI-IW reached 431.42 from 424.80 (Base 2016=100).
VDA Increase: Resulted in an increase of 6.62 points.
Piece Rate Wages: These are piece rate wages — calculated per 100 cubic feet or per truck load (200 cubic feet).
Excavation Work: VDA ranges from ₹218 (Soft Soil) to ₹428 (Rock).
Stone Breaking/Crushing: VDA ranges from ₹539 (Above 5.0") to ₹1,297 (1.0"–1.5").
Smallest Stone Size: 1.0" to 1.5" has the highest VDA (₹1,297) — reflecting the higher labour intensity.
Time Rate Provision: Workers on minimum guaranteed time rate get unskilled above ground category rates.
Legal Basis: Issued under Section 69(2) of the Code on Wages, 2019 (29 of 2019).
Issued By: Shyam Singh Negi, Director General, Labour Bureau.

Download the Official Order or share this update:

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is this order about?

This order from the Labour Bureau, Ministry of Labour & Employment, revises the rates of Variable Dearness Allowance (VDA) for workers employed in Stone Mines, effective from 01.10.2026.

When does the revised VDA come into effect?

The revised VDA is payable from 01.10.2026.

What is the CPI-IW index on which this revision is based?

The average Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW) reached 431.42 from 424.80 as on 30.06.2026, linked to Base 2016=100. This resulted in an increase of 6.62 points.

What are the VDA rates for excavation work?

For Excavation & Removal of Overburden: ₹218 (Soft Soil), ₹323 (Soft Soil with Rock), ₹428 (Rock) per 2.831 cubic meters (100 cubic feet).

What are the VDA rates for stone breaking?

For Stone Breaking/Crushing per truck load (200 cubic feet): ₹1,297 (1.0"–1.5"), ₹1,109 (1.5"–3.0"), ₹654 (3.0"–5.0"), ₹539 (Above 5.0").

Why does the smallest stone size have the highest VDA?

Breaking stones into smaller sizes (1.0" to 1.5") requires more labour, effort and time compared to larger sizes. That is why the VDA for the smallest size is highest at ₹1,297.

What is the total minimum wage for Rock excavation?

For Rock excavation: Basic ₹703 + VDA ₹428 = ₹1,131 per 2.831 cubic meters (100 cubic feet).

How is the VDA calculated for stone mines?

The VDA is calculated on a piece rate basis — per 2.831 cubic meters (100 cubic feet) for excavation/removal work, and per truck load of 5.662 cubic meters (200 cubic feet) for stone breaking/crushing.

What is the provision for minimum guaranteed time rate workers?

Workers employed on minimum guaranteed time rate of wages per day shall be entitled to time rate of minimum wages plus special allowance, if any, for the unskilled category of above ground workers.

What is the legal basis for this order?

The order is issued in pursuance of sub-section (2) of Section 69 of the Code on Wages, 2019 (29 of 2019).

Who issued this order?

The order has been issued by Shyam Singh Negi, Director General, Labour Bureau, Ministry of Labour & Employment, Chandigarh.

Where can I download the official order?

You can download the official order using the Download PDF button provided on this page.