DUNGARPUR (RAJASTHAN): A positive administrative intent and public vigilance vis-a-vis the works launched under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in this tribal district have succeeded in minimising corruption and generated hopes that the hard-won entitlement would not be dismantled in future.

The 800-odd participants in a 10-day yatra to villages undertaken as part of a unique social audit of the implementation of the employment guarantee scheme found that the Act had led to unprecedented levels of employment in public works, brought pressure on the administration to deliver and involved all Panchayati Raj institutions.

The padyatris (foot soldiers) -- who included activists, academicians, researchers and workers -- gathered for a panel discussion, public hearing and the concluding ceremony here on Tuesday and Wednesday with the observation that the concept of demand-driven employment is taking roots following the legislative recognition of the right.

As many as 1.40-lakh people living in the rural areas have been given employment in Dungarpur district since the Act was enforced.

The district administration opened 275 work sites in the 237 panchayats, and women constituted 73 per cent of the work force engaged. The few irregularities detected by padyatris involved those of fake entries in muster rolls and payments made to close relatives of some panchayat functionaries.

"The publicity given to social audit in advance led to the availability of muster rolls for inspection at all work sites. There was no instance of large-scale corruption anywhere,'' said Nikhil Dey of Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan.

Participation of rural-folk

Noted economist Jean Dreze -- accompanied by a young activist, Siddarth -- went cycling to villages for four days during the yatra and compared the awareness among people, payment of wages, facilities at work sites and work norms.

He found massive participation of rural folk in the scheme and a demand for partial wage payments in food grain, particularly from women.

The Act seems to have generated enormous pressure on the administration at all levels to focus on employment generation, with the padyatris finding shortage of staff at some places to meet the requirement. Government officials are working overtime to meet the demand for work and the scheme's norms.

It was pointed out that the public works were being implemented entirely through village panchayats in the district at present and no work was handed over to contractors. This, coupled with the fact that no labour-displacing machinery is being used anywhere, has been considered a major achievement of the Act.

Those who participated in the panel discussion included Planning Commission Member B.N. Yugandhar; Amita Sharma, Joint Secretary in the Union Ministry of Rural Development; K.S. Raju, Principal Secretary, Rural Development, Andhra Pradesh; Jayati Ghosh, Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi; and Dungarpur Collector, Manju Rajpal.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje was invited to the event by the organisers who undertook the yatra under the banner of Rozgar Evum Suchna Ka Adhikar (Right to employment and information campaign). However, Ms. Raje did not respond even though she is presently touring the tribal-dominated districts of Udaipur, Dungarpur and Banswara.

`Lack of rational norms'

The issue of measurement of work for payment of wages has generated some controversy with the activists pointing out that the quantum of work is not based on rational norms. "The work norms are too demanding. There are very few cases of anyone earning the statutory minimum wage of Rs. 73 per day,'' Aruna Roy, Magsaysay Award winner and a pioneer of the right to employment legislation, told The Hindu

A consensus has emerged among the activists in favour of rationalisation of work norms and measurement practices that would make it possible for workers to earn minimum wages.

Ms. Roy said the variation in the quality of work at different work sites should be taken into account while laying down the norms.

The Rozgar Evum Suchna Ka Adhikar intends to launch similar comprehensive social audits of the Act in five other districts in the State -- Banswara, Jhalawar, Karauli, Sirohi and Udaipur -- where the employment guarantee scheme has been introduced.

The six districts of Rajasthan are among the 200 in the country selected under the Act.

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