Bangalore: The Central government has revised wages of agricultural labourers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. The new wages are based on the consumer price index (CPI), as suggested by the prime minister, and are effective from January 1, 2011. Linking wages to CPI has enhanced them from 17% to 30%. The revised salaries will benefit more than 50 million people across India. The base wage, which was Rs 100 as on April 1, 2009, is revised once in five years. As per the new wages, the highest pay is in Nicobar district with Rs 181 per day, closely followed by Haryana at Rs 179. The most poorly paid are those in the northeastern states. Labourers in Meghalaya get Rs 117 per day and those at Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura Rs 118 per day. K