Around two-thirds of villages under the PACS Programme are covered in the first phase of the NREGS. As the NREGS is concerned with entitlements and livelihoods, it fits in logically with the PACS Programme’s strategies. "Hence", says programme director Kiran Sharma, "whatever the objectives of individual projects, programme CSOs were urged to focus on the NREGS".
At the state-wise peer review learning workshops for PACS Programme CSOs held in March 2006, discussions focussed on working out action plans to realise this potential. Programme partners were also given guidance on the Right to Information Act, which may have to be used to prevent maladministration of the NREGS. NREGS week Then, in July 2006, the PACS programme observed an ‘NREGS week’ across the programme area in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra, to increase awareness about the NREGS, and hold government at all levels accountable for its performance. The NREGS week was marked by hundreds of different types of events like rallies, village-level meetings, sammelans, distribution of communication material, padyatras and nukkad natak performances. In Bihar, the NREGS week covered 2326 villages in 106 blocks of 22 districts. The state’s secretary of rural development sent an official letter to all district officials concerned urging them to support the PACS Programme effort. The programme’s state communication agency, Communicators for Development, also facilitated a radio interview on NREGS with the state’s special secretary for rural development. A large amount of communication material, including booklets, posters and a script of a play prepared by the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA) were distributed to CSOs. CSOs helped people fill forms for job cards in different areas. Each CSO was given a target of filling at least 300 forms. In Jharkhand, the NREGS week was observed in 4500 villages in 20 districts by over 100 CSOs. A cluster wise plan of activities was finalised at the meeting and communication support material was distributed. This included flex posters, a CD of a film on NREGS, Sau Din Rojgar, Hamara Adhikar, a CD of 10 songs, a script for a street play, a booklet on NREGS week and a pamphlet on the scheme. A press conference was held to announce the activities. Training for CSOs on NREGA, padyatras and nukkad sabhas at several villages to spread awareness about the scheme were undertaken in all the clusters. Testimonials were collected and a public hearing in the presence of government officials and media representatives was held at the town hall in Palamu. In Maharashtra, Sampark, the programme’s communication agency for the state, prepared a short animation film on NREGS which was distributed among all CSOs in the districts covered by the scheme. Press conferenes were held in Nanded, Yavatmal and NREGS related issues were held with BDOs, tehsildars and other officers. In Madhya Pradesh, various events organised by programme partners uncovered several problems in the implementation of the NREGS. A particularly serious problem is widespread gender discrimination. In Mohraha panchayat of Chhatarpur it was found that women workers have not been paid for 2-3 months; they get paid Rs 40 to Rs 50 a day whereas the minimum agricultural wage here is Rs 61.37. The women’s group here also reported that most of the work is being carried out by contractors. In Chhattisgarh, a huge meeting was organised at Chandan Nagar in Sarguja district by Margadarshak Seva Sansthan (MSS) on July 6. Around 1500 people from nearby villages including 500 women took part in the meeting. The sub divisional magistrate, naib tehsildar, janpad panchayat CEO and other officials were present on the occasion. Nukkad nataks were organised in of Satepur, Hariharpur, Mendra and Kantaroli villages of Sarguja district by the CSO. Sammelans of community based organisations were held in two clusters—Kantaroli and Ghatbarrah—of Sarguja district. In Uttar Pradesh, PACS Programme partners in 13 districts participated in a state-wide Rozgar Adhikar Yatra organised by the National Conference of Dalit Organisations (NACDOR), a confederation of more than 300 grassroots Dalit organisations. The partners in these districts were closely involved in the planning and mobilisation for the yatra, which ended in a massive Rozgar Adhikar Sammelan in Lucknow on July 3 and formal adoption of a Lucknow Declaration. The Rozgar Adhikar Yatra had an immediate impact in many areas. One day after its launch at Palia in Lakhimpur Kheri district on June 23, 2006, the district collector ordered a four-day campaign to receive applications from the villagers seeking employment under NREGA and to issue them job cards. The district administration was ordered to complete the process by July 1, 2006, a day before the yatra was scheduled to reach Lucknow to present a memorandum to the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. The yatra, which started from different points-Lalitpur in Budelkhand on June 20; Palia in Terai region on June 23; Khadahi in Kushinagar in Poorvanchal on June 24, and Naugarh in Chandauli district on June 25-received a tremendous response. In Palia, thousands of villagers, panchayat representatives and women from marginalised communities flagged off the yatra. The yatra was marked by public hearings in all the 22 districts in the state covered by the NREGA. People narrated the problems they faced, such as reluctance of officials to register names, particularly of women, non-issuance of job cards, discrimination in allotting work and job cards, etc. NREGS study The NREGS week was followed up by a systematic study to gather information on how the scheme was working on the ground. It was conducted between July and October 2006 by a programme resource organisation, Samarthan, Bhopal. While primary data was collected during the PACS Programme NREGS week in June-July 2006, additional data was collected in a structured format from with the help of PACS Programme communication agencies in Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh; six partner CSOs in Uttar Pradesh, two in Madhya Pradesh, four in Bihar, two in Chhattisgarh, three in Maharashtra and two in Jharkhand. A schedule containing questions on implementation of the NREGA was prepared and distributed in 87 randomly chosen panchayats and 107 villages in the six PACS Programme states. The data was collected between August and October 2006. The study reported that: n The status of registration of households in Maharashtra and Bihar was extremely poor. n Generally, availability of job cards and their proper use was a major problem, with reports of people being charged money for getting job cards when they ought to be receiving them free. n The number of jobs provided was almost the same as the number of jobs demanded n People were not actually applying or demanding jobs as a right. Invariably, work undertaken under the NREGS by panchayats and other agencies were being carried out like any other development work. People were being absorbed simply because both resources as well as work were available in the village. n There were wide disparities in the performance of states. Madhya Pradesh’s record was the best among the six states in receiving and utilising resources. On the other hand, funds released per registered household were abysmally low in Maharashtra. n Nearly 70% of the expenditure has been on labour, and 30% on material. However, there were delays in paying wages, or wages were lower than the prescribed minimum wage. In several areas, topographic features as well as competition led to higher wages locally, but there are no provisions in the NREGA to take this into account. Gender discrimination was also reported in some places. n While the act provides for extensive worksite facilities such as a crèche and first-aid, there is little evidence of these. Women with small children have been badly affected by this omission. Lack of first-aid endangers the lives of workers, since earth work does involve the possibility of injury. At the most drinking water was provided in some places. n At the panchayat level there are several institutional hurdles. Unequal distribution of funds to the districts leads to lack of funds at the panchayat level, making payment for activities undertaken in the scheme difficult. The top-down approach in planning is adversely affecting the functioning of panchayats. There is inadequate flexibility in the guidelines to address local issues. Panchayats face problems in getting technical clearance for works to be undertaken. They also get inadequate support in developing sound technical estimates of civil works. The study suggested several ways to the government and civil society at large improve implementation of the scheme: n Build large-scale awareness campaigns to generate demand n Improve institutional capacities of gram panchayats to developing perspective or development plans of villages, with gram sabha participation, prepare cost estimates of works, gain perspective on relevance of social audits/transparency in business transacted and have sensitivity and vision in involving the disabled, women and other disadvantaged sections. n Form and strengthen village monitoring committees (nigrani samitis) n Allow flexibility in appointing competent private professionals for technical sanction of civil works and auditing accounts n Use improved technological options for performance and monitoring n Establish information resource centres and helpline, in collaboration with civil society organisations n Broadbase state-level NREGA committee and promote a culture of inclusiveness A second edition of the NREGS study is being prepared with latest information and additional inputs NREGS yatras and tribunals The programme then organized two other major initiatives: n It supported rojgar yatras in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Jharkhand, organised during October and November 2006, in partnership with the Centre for Alternative Dalit Media (CADAM), Lokshakti Samajseva Sanstha, Wada Na Todo Abhiyan (WNTA), Sampurna Gram Vikas Kendra and Lok Jagriti Kendra, respectively. n It facilitated NREGA tribunals in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Jharkhand, organised in partnership with the Uttar Pradesh Voluntary Action Network (UPVAN), Vikas Sahyog Pratishthan, Samarthan, Voluntary Action Network India (VANI), Pragati Gramin Vikas Samiti and the Society For Participatory Action and Reflection ( SPAR), respectively. These efforts culminated in a National NREGA Tribunal organised by the PACS Programme in association with the National Centre for Advocacy Studies (NCAS) and WNTA at the India Social Forum (ISF) held in New Delhi on November 9-13, 2006. Selected case studies from these state tribunals and some other states were presented at the national tribunal that had a two-member jury: n K R Venugopal, who led the design and implementation of the subsidised rice programme in Andhra Pradesh, served as UN policy advisor on poverty issues in South Asia, and was special rapporteur of the National Human Rights Commission for south India; and n Annie Raja, general secretary, National Federation of Indian Women and member of the Union government’s NREGA review council. A book on the findings and suggestions of the programme-initiated NREGS study was released at a national tribunal on the NREGA organised at the ISF. A copy of the report was handed over to the Prime Minister on December 6, 2006 by the programme director, as part of a delegation including representatives of the NACDOR and World Dignity Forum. Programme CSOs continue to be closely involved in implementation of the NREGS. In the 13 NREGS districts of Uttar Pradesh covered by the PACS Programme, a week-long (January 25-31, 2007) ‘Hisaab do, jawaab do’ (accountability) drive was undertaken to assess the field-level status of the NREGS and discuss the facts with the concerned officials. During the drive it was found that of the 610 villages covered by the PACS Programme in these 13 districts, the NREGS was active in 520 villages. The number of applications for registrations submitted in the 520 villages was 83,118; over 73,000 applicants had received job cards. Work had been provided to 38,403 families for 436,077 man-days. Interestingly, 1,661 families had received an unemployment allowance. Much of this can be attributed to the efforts of PACS Programme CSOs to promote the NREGS at the village level, and lobby for work sanctions. q |
The income-generation potential
of the NREGS in the PACS Programme villages is enormous. Assuming an
average of 50 households in the 9,000-odd programme villages covered by
the NREGS, the total number of households that could benefit from this
scheme is over 4.50 lakhs. This implies a potential annual wage
disbursement of over Rs 270 crore in the PACS Programme area, or around
Rs 3 lakh per annum per programme village. Additionally, each village
stands to gain from land, water and forest assets that are supposed to
be created under the NREGS.