The Hindu : National : NREGA: Minister stresses social audit

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Monday, Oct 01, 2007
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NREGA: Minister stresses social audit

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Targeting the critics of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, its Central Employment Guarantee Council, an advisory body for the programme, has said that not many seem to have understood the potential of this Act as it had helped in protecting people from hunger and given them hope for a life with dignity.

The Act has the potential to provide employment, to ensure minimum wage, prevent migration, create assets and empower rural women.

It is also an opportunity for political parties and trade unions to organise people working under the Act, besides giving unprecedented business opportunity to banks and post offices without any special effort, according to general secretary of the CPI-backed National Federation of Indian Women and Council member Annie Raja.

Irregularities

Admitting to irregularities in the implementation of the Act, Ms. Raja said that social audit, as provided in the Act, was an essential mechanism to overcome these. One of the main objectives of a social audit was to facilitate people’s participation in governance and ensuring transparency and accountability, she said.

Citing the recent experiences of social audits in Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu, she said if conducted sincerely these could help root out corruption and boost the confidence of the rural poor. However, she described it as an emerging discipline that would take time to institutionalise.

Fudging of muster rolls

Fudging of muster rolls, embezzlement of wages and ineffective wage payment procedures including underpayment, delayed payment and even non-payment of wages were some common irregularities unearthed during social audits, said Ms. Raja.

The system of task rate and work measurement, which was not done sincerely because of insufficient staff, was another issue.

Need for urgent review

This often led to delay in wage payments or low wage payments or at times, bringing work to a standstill as had happened in Ranchi.This called for urgent review and revision of the “schedule of rates.”

Many States do not provide facilities such as child care and drinking water at the work site even though they should as per the Act and the guidelines, she said.

Though there was no mention regarding the payment source, States could use part of the four per cent administrative cost for this, she added.

Corrections and clarifications

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