JAIPUR: The tribal district of Dungarpur, some 105 km from the divisional town of Udaipur in South Rajasthan, has turned into a laboratory for the right to work and right to know with 800-odd padyatris (foot soldiers) traversing it in the past one week under the April sun on a stocktaking mission. Dungarpur is one of the 200 districts in the country selected under National Rural Employment Act (NRGEA) and the marchers, from as many as 20 Indian States, will set the agenda for future implementation of the unique employment scheme.

The massive initiative, taken up under the banner of Rozgar Evum Suchan Ka Adhikar (Right to employment and information campaign), is first of its kind perhaps in the country on the implementation of any law. The participants include workers, activists, media persons, researchers, academicians and members of Government institutions and departments and a team from Bangladesh. The bureaucracy includes officials from Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa.

Dungarpur, adjoining Gujarat is one of the six districts in Rajasthan, chosen for Employment Guarantee Scheme, under the NREGA passed by the United Progressive Alliance Government in September 2005. The scheme, launched nationwide in February this year is being put to test with the help of a social audit at the initial stages itself so that no ambiguity remains about its implementation.

"We decided on the social audit at an early stage as there was this fear of corruption when the planners and politicians debated the legislation guaranteeing employment. Many felt it would be yet another scheme leaving lot of scope for corruption," observed Aruna Roy, one of the pioneers of the right to information and the right to employment legislation. Ms. Roy as member of the National Advisory Committee on the Common Minimum Programme of the UPA had spearheaded the law making process on NREGA. "We have invited all people who want to learn about NREGA. This is setting the agenda for the implementation of the scheme. Once a pattern is laid making Dungarpur as the test case the rest of the country can follow it," Ms.Roy noted. "We chose a district from Rajasthan as the State has a history of struggle for right to information and right to work," she pointed out. In fact the Mazdoor Kisan Sangathan (MKSS), Ms.Roy's organization has been behind the campaign for both the causes— right to information and work— which it undertook with the help of a series of "Jan sunwais" or public hearings.

The areas which the marchers have looked into so far - the findings would be made public at a mass social audit scheduled in Dungarpur town on April 25— include the aspects like: whether registration of rural households have been carried out, job cards have been issued to all the eligible members and whether jobs are being provided. On the job front the issues being looked into are: whether the jobs are given on application, if not are the eligible getting unemployment allowance after 15 days, whether the workers are paid minimum wages and whether the working conditions— including safe drinking water, shade for children, first aid and the like— are as per norms set.

The early reports indicate that Dungarpur— and Rajasthan as a whole— has done fairly well in the implementation of the Scheme. The district has 2,37,228 families registered under the Scheme and 2,26407 job cards have been issued. Up to April 8, as many as 1,29868 persons have applied for work and 1,16974 have been given employment. Ms.Roy is seemingly happy about the preliminary reports.

"A committed bureaucracy and vigilant people have helped to make a good beginning for the scheme in Rajasthan," Ms.Roy said appreciating the role of the young District Collector, Manju Rajpal. "Of course if the government machinery in Rajasthan is found fit now to implement such schemes that is also due to the previous Government here headed by Ashok Gehlot," she pointed out.

The activists are happy about Malvika Pawar, Secretary Rural Development, and Rajasthan accompanying the marchers to the villages two days back. Her visit was followed by a decision by the Government to reduce the specified task-- to be performed by the workers to earn a daily minimum wage of Rs.73-- by 10 per cent in May and by 20 per cent in June, considering the intense heat during that time in Rajasthan. There are reports that Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, who is all set to spend a few days with tribals of Banswara in the near future, may join the public hearing on April 25 in Dungarpur.

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