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Public hearing on NREGA today

A public hearing on the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) will be held at Chhattarpur in Palamau district, Jharkhand, on Monday. It is the concluding event of a two-week survey of NREGA in the area, initiated by a team of researchers from the G.B. Pant Social Science Institute, Allahabad. It is an opportunity to present the survey findings to the public, hear testimonies and discuss follow-up action.

The event is also a commemoration of Lalit Mehta, secretary of Vikas Sahyog Kendra and active member of Gram Swaraj Abhiyan, who was murdered on May 14, soon after the survey began with his active help.

Along with the survey, social audit activities were conducted, including verification of muster rolls in selected Gram Panchayats. In the process, evidence of gross corruption emerged, and action has already been taken in some cases. It is unfortunate that the positive impact of NREGA, evident from the survey findings, has been undermined due to massive embezzlement. Possible means of addressing this problem will also be discussed at the public hearing.

These are some of the preliminary findings of the NREGA survey (Palamau):

The NREGA reaches the poorest sections of society; It is seen as a potential lifeline by the rural poor; There is a big demand for NREGA work; It helps to provide food security; It helps people avoid distress migration; Wages are generally paid on time; It is a unique employment opportunity for women; The use of labour-displacing machines at NREGA worksites has virtually disappeared; There is no evidence of major worksite harassment; NREGA works seem to be productive.

The scale of NREGA works is very small; Most people are not aware of their rights under the Act; The application process is not in place; The distribution of Job Cards is incomplete. Even among NREGA workers, many do not have a Job Card; In most of the sample GPs, Job Cards had been “hoarded” by government officials or middlemen; There is severe staff shortage at all levels (e.g. Panchayat Sevaks, Junior Engineers, trained mates); The ban on private contractors is routinely violated; Transparency safeguards are grossly violated, e.g. Muster Rolls are fudged and Job Cards are not being maintained; There is rampant corruption.

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