August 2007 Edition
Biswajit Padhi
Koraput (Orissa)
DURING the lean season in rural areas, wage employment sponsored by the government becomes a lifeline. The Kalahandi, Bolangir and Koraput (KBK) region of Orissa is one of the most backward in India. It has repeatedly hit the headlines for malnutrition and starvation deaths. KBK has therefore always been a special zone for government interventions. People were assured at least 100 days work under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA). But hunger and poverty have not receded. Perhaps it is too early to judge. But it is a fact funds are lying unutilised and in Nuapada district alone the unspent sum is not inconsiderable. The work guarantee scheme in Orissa is riddled with problems. In June, the Centre for Environment and Food Security (CEFS), a Delhibased NGO, carried out a survey in 100 villages in the six districts of Bolangir, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Koraput, Nabarangpur and Rayagada. The results of their survey show widespread malpractice. “There is zero accountability and a total absence of transparency in the administration of the Orissa Employment Guarantee Scheme (OREGS),” said Parshuram Ray, director, CEFS. “Officials have resorted to loot.” The Supreme Court has appointed Special Commissioners to keep tabs on the implementation of NREGA.
Accordingly, Harsh
Mander, one of the
commissioner’s, visited
Orissa. He, too,
agreed that large funds
allocated for the
scheme were not being
used. Only 35.8 per
cent of total available
funds have been spent.
The scheme, he
noted, was reaching
the vulnerable population
as women and
SC/STs were being
employed on NREGA
sites. But only 37.6
days of work had been
given instead of 100 days.
Clearly, the employment
guarantee
scheme is not being
backed politically at
the state level.
The scheme needs
to ensure job cards are
provided, full employment
of 100 days is
given, timely payment
handed out and social
audits conducted. The
CEFS survey of 100 villages
found that there
was no village where
all this had been done.
Twenty-five villages
got half, one-third or
partial payment and three villages received
no payment at all.
Out of 100 sample villages, 18
received no job cards, 37 got no
jobs even after 16 months and 11
received neither job cards nor jobs.Job cards of 21 villages are lying with Village Level Workers
(VLWs), while that of two are lying
with Junior Engineers (JEs).
The survey also found OREGS
work being done in six villages in
the Kashipur block of Rayagada
district without job cards being
issued. In 21 sample villages, job
cards have been kept in the homes
of VLWs against the will of the
card holders.
There are several villages where work is going on but the villagers have not received job cards. The survey found that bungling of job cards is on the rise since officials make false entries in the muster rolls. The claims of the survey have been validated by an assistant project director of the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA). A noting on a job card in Ranimunda village of Nuapada district says that entries as per muster rolls have not been done. Though the muster rolls are supposed to be available online, the link is very difficult to open in the official web site nrega.nic.in. Most muster rolls found on the web site are quite old and it becomes very difficult to verify them with workers. Though the officials are required to make muster rolls available online, they say they do not have adequate staff to do so.This calls for a system of uploading the data through a privately hired agency within two days of making payments in the field. Muster rolls are regarded as confidential documents. The BDO of Nandpur Block (Koraput district) acting as chief security officer, directed the CESF survey team to get permission from the district collector. There was even an attempt by the officials of the panchayati raj department in Orissa and the Koraput collectorate to threaten the survey team for having asked for the BDO’s permission to see the muster rolls.
People are seldom paid on time. Sometimes they have to wait for six months. There are many villages where the actual wage being paid is Rs 40, Rs 30 or even Rs 22 per day. People are not aware of the recent circular of the enhancement of wages from time to time. Had there been good wage employment opportunities, people would not be migrating in hoards to urban areas for work. Migration is a major sign of failure of the scheme. People expressed shock when they were told that the scheme will provide them at least 100 days of wage employment. If a social audit is conducted, the bungling could be 70 per cent by a conservative estimate.Though social audits are mandatory, there is no effort to involve civil society organisations. The advertisement for social audits was released in news papers on June 20, when the process was supposed to have begun on June 18 and continued for 10 days. The scheme’s other drawback is the systematic failure to take all the panchayati raj representatives on board. The work is being executed by the VLWs, JEs and the sarpanches. In fact, contractors and machines have also entered this department. There are no crèche facilities for children or drinking water for labourers or first aid facilities at sites. Compensation for accidents is unheard of. No unemployment allowance has been paid, either.
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