Congress alleges Centre ‘manipulating’ rural wage data, calls reported surge misleading
Babushahi Bureau
New Delhi, June 22, 2026: The Congress on Monday accused the Central Government of presenting a distorted picture of the rural economy by allegedly altering the methodology used to calculate wage growth, claiming the move has artificially inflated rural wage figures.
Congress General Secretary and former Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh alleged that the government was attempting to portray a sharp rise in rural incomes despite persistent economic challenges faced by workers and farmers.
In a post on social media platform X, Ramesh claimed that official data showed annual rural wage growth jumping from around six per cent to nearly 17-18 per cent between June 2025 and March 2026, while average daily wages reportedly increased by 12.7 per cent within a single month.
Questioning the figures, the Congress leader alleged that the increase was the result of changes in data collection and calculation methods rather than an actual improvement in rural earnings.
Ramesh also referred to an earlier dispute over employment statistics, claiming that the government had previously revised definitions to project higher job creation numbers. He alleged that a similar approach was now being adopted in the case of rural wage data.
According to the Congress leader, stagnant inflation-adjusted wages remain one of the key reasons behind slower consumption growth and weak private investment in the country. He argued that instead of addressing structural economic concerns, the government was attempting to create a more favourable narrative through revised statistical methods.
Citing his party's analysis, Ramesh claimed that actual annual growth in real rural wages would be closer to 4.3 per cent, which he described as the weakest performance in the past four years.
Taking a swipe at the ruling dispensation, the Congress leader said the alleged practice of altering data to present a positive economic picture reflected what he termed the government's "political science."
The Central Government has not yet responded to the Congress party's latest allegations regarding the rural wage data.