JHARKHAND

Food For Work Programme: A Survey Report

THE Jharkhand state committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), conducted a sample survey on implementation of the National Food For Work Programme (NFFWP) in 8 out of 14 districts of the state in May 2005. These 14 districts are those covered under the programme in Jharkhand.

A questionnaire was prepared and, on its basis, approximately 1600 men and women from among the intended beneficiaries of the programme were questioned in groups by holding village meeting in 38 villages under 28 panchayats in 8 districts.

As we know, it was on the insistence and initiative of the Left parties that the UPA government at the centre started the NFFWP in 150 districts, though in a limited way, and it came into effect in the country in October 2004. Out of these 150 districts, 14 are in Jharkhand, namely Sahebganj, Pakur, Jamtara, Dumka, Gumla, Simdega, Lohardaga, Latehar, Palamau, Garhwa, Chatra, West Singhbhum and Saraikela-Kharswan.

DEFICIENCIES SEEN IN STATE

The guidelines on the NFFWP, issued by the ministry of rural development of the government of India state: “The Planning Commission has identified 150 most backward districts of the country on the basis of prevalence of poverty indicated by SC/ST population, agricultural productivity per worker and agricultural wage rate. Most of them happen to be tribal districts.” They further state: “It is from these districts that reports of starvation deaths come from time to time and massive migrations of labour are reported.”

On the human development index, Jhakhandr is in the lowest rung among the states in India. Due to lack of work and low agricultural productivity, massive labour migration takes placed from the state, involving entire families including women and children. As such, all the 22 districts of Jharkhand should have been brought under the NFFWP. Of these, Ranchi and East Singhbhum fall in the scheduled areas category under the fifth schedule of the constitution of India. Repeated hunger deaths are reported from Hazaribagh district. Yet, these districts have been excluded from the NFFWP.

The guidelines state: “A five-year perspective plan for the districts…... block-wise and gram panchayat-wise, be prepared under the programme.”

In none of the Jharkhand districts, however, has a perspective plan been prepared by the depute commissioner. The state government has completely failed to do the initial minimum work in this regard.

On May 10, 2005, the Left parties submitted a memorandum to the governor of Jharkhand in which the issue of NFFWP was taken up. The governor assured to take up the issue with the state government. Subsequently, the chief minister had a video conference with the deputy commissioners on this issue.

It appears that the state government’s pending programme of construction of ponds was hurriedly taken up under the NFFWP.

DEFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION

In the 38 villages where the survey was conducted, the NFFWP was not taken up for implementation in 23 villages. The programme was stated only in 15 of these villages.

In the 15 villages where the work has started, everywhere it is on a temporary basis and for construction of ponds.

Callused 4.14.1 of the NFFWP guidelines states: “The programme will be implemented departmentally only. Contractors are not permitted to be engaged for execution of any of the works under the programme. No middleman or any other intermediate agency should be employed for executing works under the programme. The full benefit of wages to be paid should reach the workers and the cost of the works should not involve any commission charges payable to such contractors, middlemen or intermediate agencies.”

Yet, in all the said 15 villages where the work has started, contractors or middlemen have been appointed to implement the NFFWP.

The same clause of the guidelines also states: “No task funded under the programme shall be performed by using labour displacement machines.”

Yet, in all these 15 villages, machines are being used to displace labour.

The guidelines state: “In case it is reported that labour displacement machines are being engaged, the collector shall withhold further release of funds to the executing agencies and initiate suitable action against the erring official for misutilisation of fund.”

Since contractors and middlemen have been appointed and labour displacement machines are being used under full knowledge and approval of the concerned deputy commissioners, the question of taking action by them does not arise. Obviously, the DCs have appointed contractors and middlemen, and allowed the use of machines, under some unreported guidance or order from the Arjun Munda ministry.

On June 7, in Barharwa block of Sahebganj district, two contractors fought among themselves and used firearms and bombs in order to grab the contract under the NFFWP. One worker was injured in this fight.

When the villagers under Ramala panchayat in Godda district protested against the use of labour displacement machines, they were severely beaten up by the police. Anti-socials employed by contractors are terrorising the villagers in Udhwa block of Sahebganj district in order to deter them from demanding minimum wages.

In Kakna village under Kakna panchayat in Godda districts, 105 villagers submitted a joint memorandum to the DC, demanding jobs under the NFFWP. Here too, work is being done by contractors through labour displacing machines.

HOW WAGES ARE PAID

Clause 3.2 of the guidelines states: “The wages to be paid under NFFWP, both for skilled and unskilled labour, shall not be less than the minimum wages fixed by the state government under the relevant statute for agricultural labourers as applicable to the rural areas.”

Up to December 2004, the minimum wage in Jharkhand, as notified by the state government, was Rs 67.72 per day. The automatic rise in dearness allowance due to average rise in the price index during July-December 2004 was Rs 4.58, which the Jharkhand government failed to notify till as late as June 16, 2005. By notification numbers 1056 and 1057, the minimum wage has now been raised to Rs 72.30 per day, effective from June 16, 2005.

Yet, the wages paid to workers under the NFFWP varies from block to block --- ranging from Rs 40 to Rs 64. In Godda block wages are not being paid on time rate basis but on piece rate basis --- Rs 40 to Rs 45 per chouka. In Pakur, wages are paid at the rate of Rs 55 to Rs 60, in Barharwa block at the rate of Rs 50 to Rs 60, in Palamau Rs 45, and in Hunterganj block at the rate of Rs 60 per chouka. Everywhere t,hus, the wages paid are below the minimum wage fixed by the state government. Everywhere wages are being paid in cash, with no portion being paid in foodgrains.

The guidelines state: “Muster rolls shall be maintained for every work separately, showing the details of wages paid to workers and foodgrains distributed….Muster roll shall be made available to public for scrutiny and a copy of the same be made available on demand on normal price.”

However, no muster rolls are provided to the public in Jharkhand for scrutiny.

OTHER LAPSES

Clause 4.14.4 of the guidelines states that arrangement for providing facilities like drinking water, rest sheds and crèches for children should be provided and expenditure should be met from the non-wage component. However, such facilities are conspicuous by their absence.

As for activities like afforestation, land development, flood control and rural connectivity, the guidelines further state: “For each activity as mentioned above, the works suitable and required for the area are to be identified in consultation with panchayati raj institutions……” Clause 7.4 also states: “The panchayats concerned will have the right to inspect and review the progress of any work under the scheme in their jurisdiction.”

Also, “For works taken up by the village panchayats, copies of muster rolls duly certified by the panchayat sarpanch (mukhiya) shall be placed before the gram sabhas.”

Since panchayat elections have not been held in the state, and since the gram sabhas have not been constituted as per the Jharkhand Panchayat Raj Act, 2001, there is no role of panchayat institutions in respect of implementation of the NFFWP in Jharkhand.

Clause 6.3 of the guidelines states: “For every work sanctioned under the scheme, there will be a monitoring committee of the villagers of the area.” Further, “to select the members of the committee and the convenor of the committee, a meeting of the local beneficiaries will be convened by the local member of the gram panchayat.” “The final report of the committee would also be placed in the next meeting of the gram sabha of the panchayat.”

Needless to say, no monitoring committee has been formed simply because panchayats and gram sabhas remain non-existent in Jharkhand.

The guidelines state: “The collectors should prepare descriptive pamphlets explaining the provision in local language in easy to understand format.”

No pamphlet has yet been published by DCs in any of the 8 districts surveyed.

The CPI(M) survey in the 8 districts also reporting the following:

1. The state government did not make any arrangement to inform the people in respect of the NFFWP.

2. No scheme under the programme has been made public by the government. The scheme was prepared by the BDOs and local contractors.

3. No villagers’ meeting was called to prepare the list of beneficiaries.

4. The list of beneficiaries has not been made public.

5. There is no scheme to provide jobs. The scheme is only to complete some work through contractors.