"21. As stated above minimum wage must provide not merely for the bare subsistence of life but for the preservation of the efficiency of the worker and so it must also provide for some measure of education, medical requirements and amenities of himself and his family. While fixing the minimum wages, the capacity of the employer to pay is treated as irrelevant and the Act contemplates that rates of minimum wage should be fixed in schedule industries with a dual object of providing sustenance and maintenance.of the worker and his family and preserving his efficiency as a worker. So it is required to take into consideration cost of bare subsistence of life and preservation of efficiency of the workers and for some measure of education, medical requirements and amenities. This cost is likely to vary depending upon the cost prevailing in the market of various items. If there are inflationary conditions prevailing in the country, then minimum wages fixed at a particular point of time would not serve the purpose. Therefore, Section 4 contemplates that minimum wages fixed at a particular point of time should be revised from time to time. Section 4 postulates that minimum wages fixed or revised by the appropriate Government under Section 3 may consist of basic rates of wages and special allowance at a rate to be adjusted at such intervals in such manner as the appropriate Government may direct to accord as nearly as practicable with a variation in the cost of living index number applicable to such workers; alternatively, it permits the fixation of basic rate of wages with or without cost of living allowance and the cash value of the concessions in respect of supplies of essential commodities at concessional rates where so authorised; or in the alternative, it permits an all inclusive rate allowing for the basic rate, the cost of living allowance and the cash value of concessions, if any. The purpose of Section 4 is to see that minimum wage can be linked with increase in cost of living so that increase in cost of living can be neutralised or all inclusive rates of minimum wages can be fixed. But, from the aforesaid Sections 3 & 4, it is apparent that what is fixed is total remuneration which should be paid to the employees covered by the Schedule and not for payment of costs of different components which are taken into consideration for fixation of minimum rates of wages. It is thus clear that the concept of minimum wages does take in the factor of prevailing cost of essential commodities whenever such
