Minimum Wages in Chhattisgarh (2026): Zone A, B and C Rates with VDA, and Worked Payroll

If you run a shop in Raipur, a rice mill near Dhamtari, a fabrication unit in Siltara or a security agency in Bilaspur, the Labour Commissioner's half-yearly order sets the least you can pay. Chhattisgarh uses one set of rates for 45 "general" scheduled employments, split by three zones and four skill levels, with separate schedules for agriculture, agarbatti and bidi work and for daily-wage workers in government offices. This page gives the rates for 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027 from the Labour Commissioner's orders of 8 October 2026, with the zone map, the VDA arithmetic, worked payroll in rupees and what the late order means for October arrears.

Quick answer

From 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, the Chhattisgarh minimum wage for an unskilled worker in Zone A is ₹11,534.48 a month (₹444 a day), under the Labour Commissioner's order No. 2661 dated 8 October 2026. Zone B pays ₹11,274.48 and Zone C ₹11,014.48 for unskilled work.

• Same rates for all 45 general employments — shops, hotels, factories, construction, security

• Includes VDA of ₹3,214.48 a month, up ₹132.48 from April 2026

• Daily rate = monthly ÷ 26, rounded to the nearest rupee

• Order dated 8 October 2026 applies from 1 October — pay any October shortfall as arrears

Chhattisgarh minimum wage rates for October 2026–March 2027

The table follows Schedule "Kha" of the Labour Commissioner's order No. 8/MW/LC/2026/2661 dated 8 October 2026, which covers the 45 scheduled employments in Part One. Each total is the basic minimum wage plus VDA; the order prints the April–September 2026 figures alongside, and the basic wages did not change. The monthly totals now carry paise because the VDA rise of ₹132.48 is not a round number; the daily rates are rounded to whole rupees as the order directs.

The previous half-year (1 April to 30 September 2026) had VDA of ₹3,082 a month, so the unskilled Zone A rate rose from ₹11,402 to ₹11,534.48 and the daily rate from ₹439 to ₹444. Every category in every zone went up by the same ₹132.48 a month, or ₹5 a day.

Chhattisgarh minimum wages at a glance (Oct 2026–Mar 2027)

₹11,534.48

Unskilled, Zone A, per month

incl. VDA

₹424

Unskilled, Zone C, per day

₹3,214.48

VDA per month, all categories

+₹132.48

45

Scheduled employments on one rate card

Chhattisgarh minimum wage calculator

Zone / employment

Zone AZone BZone CAgriculture

Skill level / category

UnskilledSemi-skilledSkilledHighly skilled

Days worked in the month

Overtime hours

Actual wage paid (₹/month, optional)

Months underpaid

A full month is 26 working days; the daily rate is the monthly rate ÷ 26 where the order fixes only a monthly figure.

Monthly minimum (26 days)₹11,534.48

Daily rate₹444

Pay for 26 days₹11,534.48

Overtime at 2× (₹111/hour)₹0

Minimum gross pay this month₹11,534.48

Overtime is paid at twice the ordinary rate (daily rate ÷ 8 hours). Arrears assume the same shortfall in every month since the rates took effect on 1 October 2026; a claim under the Code on Wages must generally be filed within 3 years. Estimates only — check the order for your employment.

Which businesses the 45 employments cover

Appendix "A" to the order lists the 45 general scheduled employments in Part One. Between them they cover most private businesses an MSME runs:

• Industry — power plants, steel plants, sponge iron, rolling mills, casting, cement factories, cement poles and products, tiles and potteries, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, plastics, solvent plants and refineries, oil mills, rice, flour and dal mills, murra and poha units, food products (cakes, biscuits, confectionery, ice cream), khandsari and sugar mills, saw mills and wood work, fuel coke, bone mills, engineering industry, powerloom, kosa (tussar silk), handloom and blanket making.
• Construction and quarrying — building and other construction work, roads and buildings, irrigation works, stone crushing, stone breaking, brick kilns and lime kilns.
• Services and trade — any shop, commercial establishment, residential hotel, restaurant or theatre; educational institutions and private training centres; hospitals, nursing homes and pathology labs; printing presses; petrol and diesel pumps, gas distribution centres and godowns; security guards; sales promotion employees; hamals, weighmen and mandi workers; public motor transport; local authorities; forestry and nurseries; poultry farms.
• A catch-all — any manufacturing process in a factory as defined in section 2(k) of the Factories Act, 1948 that is not covered by another entry.

Part Two has separate orders: agriculture, agarbatti making, and tobacco including bidi making. Daily-wage workers engaged directly by government departments have their own Schedule "Ga", with the same monthly totals but a daily rate worked out by dividing by 30 rather than 26.

Zones A, B and C: the map that sets your rate

The zone description attached to the order is short, but it has two features employers miss.

• Zone A — the areas inside the Raipur, Durg, Bhilai, Bhilai-Charoda and Birgaon municipal corporations and up to 16 km beyond their limits; all industrial areas and industrial growth centres in the state; the Atal Nagar (Nava Raipur) development authority area; and every factory in the state licensed under the Factories Act for 300 or more workers.
• Zone B — the areas inside the Rajnandgaon, Bilaspur, Korba, Raigarh, Ambikapur, Jagdalpur, Chirmiri and Dhamtari municipal corporations and up to 8 km beyond their limits.
• Zone C — everything not in Zone A or B.

So a small fabrication unit in the Siltara or Urla industrial area is Zone A, even though Urla and Siltara feel like Raipur's outskirts. A unit in an industrial growth centre in Bastar or Sarguja is also Zone A. And a large steel or power plant licensed for 300 or more workers is Zone A wherever it is, so check the zone of the factory before pricing contract labour for it.

Bhilai Steel Plant itself is a central public sector undertaking, so its own employees fall under the central sphere — see our central minimum wages guide. Private businesses around it, and contractors working for private plants, follow the state rates.

How the Chhattisgarh VDA works

For Part One, the labour department's notifications of 29 March 2017 and 1 May 2017 linked the basic minimum wages to an All-India CPI for industrial workers (2001=100) of 271, the January–June 2016 average. VDA is ₹20 a month for every point of average rise over that base, recalculated each half-year.

The Labour Commissioner's order No. 2661 of 8 October 2026 declared the January–June 2026 average as 431.42 (monthly figures rising from 429.41 in March to 431.71 in April and 434.30 in May). The previous half-year's average was 424.80. The rise of 6.62 average points at ₹20 a point gives ₹132.48 a month — ₹5 a day on 26 days — added to the VDA from 1 October 2026. That brings VDA to ₹3,214.48 a month, or ₹123.63 a day. For comparison, the April 2026 revision added ₹226, because the July–December 2025 index had risen faster (11.28 points).

Agriculture uses a different index. Its rates are linked to the All-India CPI for agricultural labourers (1986–87=100) at 852 points. Order No. 2660 of 8 October 2026 declared the January–June 2026 average as 1,335 against 1,322 for the previous half-year. Agricultural VDA rises by ₹65 to ₹2,515 a month, taking the agricultural minimum to ₹9,415 a month or ₹314 a day (÷ 30) from 1 October 2026, up from ₹9,350 and ₹312.

The agarbatti and bidi schedules are piece-rated. Agarbatti VDA, for example, is 1.25 paise per point per 1,000 sticks over a base of 1,285 points. Order No. 2662 of 8 October 2026 put the January–June 2026 index at 1,997.49, giving ₹8.91 per 1,000 sticks rolled from October 2026 (₹8.53 in April–September).

Chhattisgarh VDA, 2025–27 (Part One, per month)

1 Oct 2025

VDA ₹2,856 — Zone A unskilled ₹11,176 (₹430 a day)

24 Mar 2026

Order No. 961 declares Jul–Dec 2025 CPI-IW average 424.80

1 Apr 2026

VDA ₹3,082 — Zone A unskilled ₹11,402 (₹439 a day)

8 Oct 2026

Order No. 2661 declares Jan–Jun 2026 CPI-IW average 431.42

1 Oct 2026

VDA ₹3,214.48 — Zone A unskilled ₹11,534.48 (₹444 a day), to 31 March 2027

1 Apr 2027

Next VDA, from the Jul–Dec 2026 index

Skill categories, daily rates and rounding

Appendix "B" of the order defines the four categories in general terms. An unskilled worker does simple work needing little or no independent judgement or prior experience, though familiarity with the workplace is expected. A semi-skilled worker does routine work of a set pattern where important decisions are taken by others. A skilled worker works efficiently and independently with judgement and responsibility and has full knowledge of the trade. A highly skilled worker is fully proficient in technical or specialised work, takes responsibility for decisions, and holds a technical degree or diploma. The detailed classification of job titles is in the labour department's notification of 29 March 2017; the order says job examples are illustrative and anyone not listed gets the rate for similar work.

The order also says:

• The monthly wage is payable at the end of the calendar month. If one day's wage has to be worked out, divide the monthly wage by 26.
• Wages are rounded to whole rupees — 50 paise or more goes up, less is dropped.
• The rates include payment for the weekly rest day.
• Piece rates must be set so that a worker working eight hours a day, six days a week with a paid rest day earns no less than the minimum.
• Where the same kind of work falls under more than one employment, the better rate applies.
• Existing wages higher than the new rates cannot be reduced, and if your basic pay plus VDA together exceed the notified total, you are compliant even if the split is different.

Worked payroll examples in ₹ (October 2026–March 2027)

Example 1 — a helper in a Raipur shop. Meena packs and stocks shelves in a Raipur store: unskilled, Zone A, paid monthly. Her minimum gross is ₹11,534.48.

• ESI (wages below ₹21,000/month): employee 0.75% ≈ ₹86.51; employer 3.25% ≈ ₹374.87
• EPF at 12% of wages (if covered; the EPF wage ceiling is ₹25,000 a month from 17 September 2026): ₹1,384.14 each from her and you
• Net pay ≈ ₹11,534.48 − ₹86.51 − ₹1,384.14 = ₹10,063.83

Example 2 — a welder in the Siltara industrial area. Industrial areas are Zone A, so a skilled welder gets at least ₹12,964.48. ESI ≈ ₹97.23 (employee); EPF ₹1,555.74 each; net ≈ ₹11,311.51. If he works 8 overtime hours, the Code on Wages requires twice the normal rate of wages: ₹499 ÷ 8 × 2 = ₹124.75 an hour, or ₹998 extra.

Example 3 — a semi-skilled press operator in Bilaspur. Bilaspur is a Zone B corporation: ₹11,924.48. ESI ≈ ₹89.43; EPF ₹1,430.94; net ≈ ₹10,404.11.

Example 4 — a daily-rated worker in a village rice mill. A rice mill outside any zone A or B area is Zone C. An unskilled daily-rated worker for 24 days earns at least 24 × ₹424 = ₹10,176.

Example 5 — October arrears. The October order is dated 8 October 2026 but applies from 1 October. A Durg shop (Zone A) that paid a daily-rated unskilled worker ₹439 a day for the first 20 working days of October owes 20 × ₹5 = ₹100 in arrears. A monthly-paid unskilled worker whose October salary was processed at the April figure of ₹11,402 is owed ₹132.48 for October, and every category in every zone moves up by the same ₹132.48 a month from then on.

Monthly minimum-wage check for a Chhattisgarh worker

Step 1

Is the business in the 45 employments?

Step 2

Zone A, B or C

industrial areas and 300+ factories = A

Step 3

Category

unskilled → highly skilled

Step 4

Monthly total

÷ 26 for a day

Step 5

Overtime at 2×

Step 6

ESI / EPF, pay by the 7th

How Chhattisgarh compares with neighbours

Chhattisgarh's Zone A unskilled daily rate of ₹444 is below Jharkhand's Area A rate of ₹523 and below Madhya Pradesh's unskilled rate of ₹484, and close to Odisha's ₹478. All four states have now issued their October 2026 revisions, so the comparison below is like for like. If you run units in more than one state, compare our Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Jharkhand pages.

Unskilled minimum per day — Chhattisgarh and neighbours

Jurisdiction	Unskilled rate	In force from	Structure
Chhattisgarh — Zone A	₹444	1 October 2026	45 employments on one card; 3 zones; ₹20 a CPI point
Chhattisgarh — Zone C	₹424	1 October 2026	Villages and small towns
Jharkhand — Area A	₹523	1 October 2026	VDA as % of basic
Madhya Pradesh	₹484	1 October 2026	Revised 1 April and 1 October
Odisha	₹478	1 October 2026	Statewide rate

Chhattisgarh — Zone A

Unskilled rate

₹444

In force from

1 October 2026

Structure

45 employments on one card; 3 zones; ₹20 a CPI point

Chhattisgarh — Zone C

Unskilled rate

₹424

In force from

1 October 2026

Structure

Villages and small towns

Jharkhand — Area A

Unskilled rate

₹523

In force from

1 October 2026

Structure

VDA as % of basic

Madhya Pradesh

Unskilled rate

₹484

In force from

1 October 2026

Structure

Revised 1 April and 1 October

Odisha

Unskilled rate

₹478

In force from

1 October 2026

Structure

Statewide rate

Government daily-wagers, agriculture and piece-rated work

Schedule "Ga" of the same order covers daily-wage workers and employees engaged directly by state government departments. The monthly totals are identical to Schedule "Kha" — ₹11,534.48 for an unskilled worker in Zone A — but the daily rate is the monthly figure divided by 30, so the Zone A unskilled daily rate is ₹384 rather than ₹444. That difference matters if you are a contractor supplying daily-rated labour to a government office: the department may quote the Schedule "Ga" daily figure, but your own staff working on a private site are on the ÷ 26 basis.

Agricultural employment is Part Two and runs on its own index. A farm worker is due ₹9,415 a month or ₹314 a day from October 2026, the same in every zone. The agriculture schedule has a single rate for farm work, worked out on a 30-day month.

Agarbatti and bidi workers are mostly paid per thousand pieces. The agarbatti schedule fixes a basic piece rate for rolling 1,000 sticks and adds VDA at 1.25 paise a point; bidi rolling has an annual VDA revision from 1 October. Even on piece rates, the order requires that a normal working week yields at least the time rate.

Employer obligations under the Code on Wages

The Code on Wages, 2019 has been in force since 21 November 2025. Chhattisgarh's October 2026 order still refers to the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 and the 2017 notifications made under it; section 69 of the Code keeps those notifications in force until the state replaces them, so the rates are binding. The national floor wage under section 9 had not been notified when we checked; the old advisory floor was ₹176 a day (advisory, 2017).

• Pay on time — monthly wages before the end of the 7th day of the next month; full and final settlement within 2 working days.
• Deductions — no more than 50% of wages in total.
• Contract labour — contract workers are entitled to the same minimum as anyone else doing that work, and under the Code the principal employer is answerable if the contractor underpays.
• Equal pay — men and women doing the same or similar work must be paid the same.
• Records — keep wage and muster registers and issue a wage slip each period.

Chhattisgarh minimum wage checklist

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• Confirm your business is in the 45 general employments (or a Part Two schedule)
• Place each workplace in Zone A, B or C — industrial areas and 300+ worker factories are Zone A
• Grade each worker: unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled or highly skilled
• Apply VDA of ₹3,214.48 a month from 1 October 2026
• Use monthly ÷ 26 for a day's wage (÷ 30 only for government daily-wagers and agriculture)
• Pay any October 2026 shortfall as arrears — the order dated 8 October applies from 1 October

Share Print

Where the October 2026 order is and how to download it

The orders are published as a single PDF on the Shram Evam Jayate portal: CG_Labour_Minimum_Wages_2026.pdf. It contains orders No. 2660 (agriculture), 2661 (45 general employments) and 2662 (agarbatti), all dated 8 October 2026, with the schedules, Appendices "A" and "B" and the zone description. We opened it on 19 October 2026 and the Zone A unskilled total of ₹11,534.48 a month (₹444 a day) is as printed in Schedule "Kha". The department replaced the April 2026 file at the same web address, so an older download will show the April figures (₹11,402, ₹439 a day).

The figures that change the pay slip, if you are still on April rates:

Payroll still on the October 2025 VDA of ₹2,856 is ₹358.48 a month short. The next revision, from the July–December 2026 index, takes effect on 1 April 2027.

What happens if you underpay

A worker, a group of workers or a union can claim unpaid minimum wages under the Code on Wages within 3 years. The authority can award the shortfall plus compensation of up to 10 times the claim. Paying below the minimum is an offence with a fine of up to ₹50,000 for a first offence and up to ₹1 lakh fine and/or 3 months' imprisonment for a repeat. Calculate any arrears period by period at the rate then in force and pay them as a separate line.

Official links

• Minimum wages and VDA from 01.10.2026 (Labour Commissioner, Chhattisgarh)Orders 2660–2662 dated 08.10.2026, schedules, 45-employment list, zone description
• Shram Evam Jayate — Department of Labour, ChhattisgarhDocuments section — the April 2027 order will appear here
• The Code on Wages, 2019 (India Code)

Related tools and guides

Work out any worker's figure with the minimum wage calculator, issue slips with the salary slip generator, and see the Code on Wages guide for deductions and payment dates. Operating a shop or trade unit in the state? The Chhattisgarh shop act licence and trade licence guides cover registration. Neighbouring states: Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice — confirm on the official source or with a professional.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum wage in Chhattisgarh in 2026?

For 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, an unskilled worker in the 45 scheduled employments gets ₹11,534.48 a month (₹444 a day) in Zone A, ₹11,274.48 in Zone B and ₹11,014.48 in Zone C. Highly skilled workers in Zone A get ₹13,744.48. Every figure includes VDA of ₹3,214.48 a month.

How is VDA calculated in Chhattisgarh?

For the 45 general employments, VDA is ₹20 a month for every point the All-India CPI for industrial workers (2001=100) rises over 271. The January–June 2026 average was 431.42, up 6.62 points on the previous half-year, so VDA rose by ₹132.48 a month (₹5 a day on 26 days) to ₹3,214.48 from 1 October 2026.

Which areas are Zone A in Chhattisgarh?

Zone A covers the Raipur, Durg, Bhilai, Bhilai-Charoda and Birgaon municipal corporations and 16 km beyond their limits; all industrial areas and industrial growth centres in the state; the Atal Nagar (Nava Raipur) development authority area; and every factory licensed for 300 or more workers. Zone B is eight other municipal corporations plus 8 km; Zone C is the rest.

How is the daily minimum wage worked out in Chhattisgarh?

For the 45 scheduled employments the monthly rate is divided by 26, and the result rounded to the nearest rupee — so ₹11,534.48 becomes ₹444. For daily-wage workers in government offices (Schedule 'Ga') and for agriculture, the monthly rate is divided by 30.

Has Chhattisgarh announced minimum wages from October 2026?

Yes. The Labour Commissioner's order No. 8/MW/LC/2026/2661 dated 8 October 2026 sets the rates for 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027: VDA rises by ₹132.48 to ₹3,214.48 a month, so Zone A unskilled becomes ₹11,534.48 (₹444 a day). Order No. 2660 of the same date raises agriculture to ₹9,415. Because the order came out after 1 October, pay any October shortfall as arrears.

Are shops and hotels covered by Chhattisgarh minimum wages?

Yes. Employment in any shop, commercial establishment, residential hotel, restaurant or theatre is item 21 of the 45 scheduled employments in Part One. Shops therefore pay the same zone-wise rates as factories, construction and security: ₹11,534.48 for an unskilled worker in Zone A from October 2026.

Sources & verification

Figures on this page were checked against the sources below when it was last reviewed on 19 October 2026. Each rate and limit is stored once with its own official source and review date, and official update channels are monitored daily so changes are picked up. How we verify

1. 1.Minimum wages and VDA rates effective from 01-10-2026 (Orders No. 2660, 2661 and 2662 dated 08.10.2026 with schedules 'Ka' to 'Ee', Appendices 'A' and 'B' and zone description) — Office of the Labour Commissioner, Chhattisgarh, Nava Raipur · accessed 14 October 2026
2. 2.Shram Evam Jayate portal — Department of Labour, Chhattisgarh (Documents: minimum wages from 01.04.2026) — Department of Labour, Government of Chhattisgarh · accessed 14 October 2026
3. 3.Labour Commissioner order No. 8/MW/LC/2026/2660 dated 08.10.2026 — agricultural employment (Part Two), CPI-AL Jan–Jun 2026 average 1,335 — Office of the Labour Commissioner, Chhattisgarh · accessed 14 October 2026
4. 4.Labour Commissioner order No. 8/MW/LC/2026/2662 dated 08.10.2026 — agarbatti industry, CPI average 1,997.49 — Office of the Labour Commissioner, Chhattisgarh · accessed 14 October 2026
5. 5.Gazette of India S.O. 5109(E) dated 17.09.2026 — wage ceiling ₹25,000 for Chapter III, Code on Social Security (reproduced by the Uttarakhand Labour Department) — Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India · accessed 9 October 2026
6. 6.The Code on Wages, 2019 (No. 29 of 2019) — India Code, Legislative Department · accessed 9 October 2026