People's Democracy

A panchayat will hesitate to give work on demand if they do not have the ready money to pay the workers, which they should do within a week of completion of the work. Thus the demand for better fund allocations is important to ensure that panchayats encourage workers to avail of the rights given to them by REGA.

Stop Dilution Of REGA - II

Brinda Karat

Stop Dilution Of REGA - II

Another discouragement to the implementation of REGA is the narrow scope of schemes permitted. From the state governments point of view in states where there is a high percentage of cultivated land as for example in West Bengal, Punjab or Haryana there is a limit to the kind of work that can be undertaken under NREGA. Land is required for extension of water conservation projects and in many states a saturation point will be reached. Further, in states where there is heavy rainfall or a longer monsoon period, there is no scope for the provision of work except afforestation. In this sense the REGA project list is discriminatory and helps those states with a dry climate or with large tracts of unused land. At the time of the drafting of NREGA the representative of the West Bengal government had pointed out this anomaly and therefore we could get included a provision in the Act under Schedule 1 Clause 1 (ix) which provides for �any other work which may be notified by the central government in consultation with state governments.�

However in practice this is not being properly utilised. The West Bengal government for example has suggested that brick making for the use of houses under Indira Awaas Yojana should be included as also tea leaf plucking in closed tea garderns of North Bengal so as to bring relief to workers, but this has still not been sanctioned by the central ministry. In Uttarakhand women have to spend several hours for the collection of fodder for which they must walk long distances. If a collective scheme could be worked out to include this activity under REGA it would be of immense benefit for hill women in different states. Thus a more flexible approach to the type of works permitted would not only encourage state governments to take up more projects but would benefit workers also through a change in the nature of work. It is necessary for our units in the states to take up alternative work possibilities from the village level to the state level including through the state councils.

Allocations

of Funds

The fund allocation for NREGA has not matched the expansion of the scheme. While the number of districts covered under NREGA has doubled in the last year, Budget 2008-2009 has increased the allocation of funds only by 20 per cent. Since all employment schemes have now been merged with NREGA, this is clearly inadequate. Contrary to the tall claims of the finance ministry, the actual increase in cash allocations for rural employment since the enactment of NREGA is only to the tune of Rs 2200 crore. In 2006-2007 the combined allocation for employment through SGRY and REGA was Rs 14,300 crore (Rs 3000 cr and Rs 11,300 cr respectively); in 2007-2008 it was Rs 14,800 crore (Rs 2800 cr and Rs 12,000 cr respectively) and in 2008-2009 it is Rs 16,000 crore for REGA. The SGRY also had a food allocation. If the cost of foodgrains is included then the difference between SGRY allocations and the REGA will come down further. The method of fund allocations and the delays also tend to limit the number of projects the panchayats take up. In the finance minister�s own constituency the officer in charge had pointed out to the writer in 2007 that the method of allocations was a problem as there was no immediate availability of funds. He said that in that particular period, the level of expenditure per week was around Rs 1.35 crore to Rs 1.45 crore. The process of fund disbursal from district to the panchayats takes around 20 to 30 days. He estimated that at that level of expenditure at least Rs 4.5 crore was required in the system at any given time to ensure adequate work in keeping with the demand. However there was no backup fund with the district administration for meeting the demand. In West Bengal there have been examples such as in Burdwan district where the REGA project had to take loans from the Zilla Parishad funds to meet the demand.

Another problem identified is that the centre decides on an arbitrary amount and sends it directly to the districts. Often the demand varies from district to district depending on local employment opportunities. However even if there is no demand in a particular district, the REGA fund of the district cannot be transferred to another district where there is an increased demand. Instead of sending the funds for REGA directly to the districts, the central government should allow state governments to disburse the funds according to the requirement. A panchayat will hesitate to give work on demand if they do not have the ready money to pay the workers, which they should do within a week of completion of the work. Thus the demand for better fund allocations is important to ensure that panchayats encourage workers to avail of the rights given to them by REGA.

Unemployment

Allowance

According to information given to parliament only two or three states have paid unemployment allowance. This allowance is to be paid by state governments and it is extremely unfair and unjust for the state governments to deny workers unemployment allowance which is due to them because of the failure of state governments to provide work. Often the demand for work is ignored and not registered so as to avoid payment of unemployment allowance. If the state governments have a problem because of the methods of fund allocations as mentioned above, then surely it is the responsibility of these governments to make a noise about it and demand that the central government should make the necessary changes. In any case workers should not suffer. It is important therefore for our struggles to raise the demand for unemployment allowance wherever workers have been denied work as this is an important right which is being violated in many parts of the country.

Administrative

Set-up

The NREGA Act has included a separate cadre for implementation of NREGA of a Programme Officer and a Gram Sahayak. Yet in some states this has not been done and the present gram panchayat secretaries or at the block level the BDOs are being asked to fulfill the additional responsibility of NREGA. In Maharashtra panchayat secretaries have launched a non-cooperation movement as a result of which NREGA is paralysed in many districts at a time when work demand increases. In Tamilnadu where there are sahayaks appointed, they complained that they had to travel long distances to cover a number of worksites in a day to measure the work done at their own expense and demanded better conditions. The situation is better where there are functioning panchayats and gram sabhas which ensure better participation and involvement. In Kerala the unique Kudumbashree project involving over 36 lakh women at the village level in the state organised in different societies, has done an excellent job in implementing REGA. All supervisory work on the site is done by women members of the Area Development Societies under Kudumbashree whose members also take on the responsibility of mates, measuring the work etc. This successful model shows the possibility of a REGA friendly administrative set-up which will enhance workers rights under REGA. The appointment of separate cadre is an important demand that we should make as it will help the implementation of the Act.

Against Corruption

and for Social Audits

Even though REGA has the best in-built mechanisms for social control and anti-corruption measures compared to all previous schemes, entrenched interests at different levels seek to utilise the funds of REGA to line their own pockets. There have been examples of violence unleashed on our comrades when they have intervened to prevent administrative loot of REGA funds. In Godda district, Jharkhand some comrades were arrested under on an attempt to murder charge (Sec. 307) because they had protested against corruption. In Chhattisgarh also our comrades were attacked. Other organisations working for social audits have faced similar violence. In a most horrendous case, a young activist working with an NGO in Jharkhand was reportedly brutally murdered because he had been involved in a social audit which exposed corruption.

The problems of false muster rolls, non-payment or underpayment of wages, under measurement of work are important issues which need to be taken up. The anti-REGA lobbies have used some comments of the CAG report to conclude that REGA has utterly failed and is an avenue for massive corruption. While this is motivated propaganda, it is important for us to insist on social audits and peoples participation in the working of REGA. It will be a shame and an injustice to the rural poor if a legal guarantee for work, however partial, is allowed to be diluted, weakened, circumscribed and ultimately destroyed.