The purpose of the Rozgar Adhikar Yatra was to raise awareness about the NREGA, mobilise people to demand work and highlight shortcomings in implementation of the act.

The yatra was conceived by the National Conference of Dalit Organisations (NACDOR), a confederation of more than 300 grassroots dalit organisations, and supported by the PACS Programme, Wada Na Todo Abhiyan, Oxfam India Trust, World Dignity Forum, UPVAN and hundreds of grassroots organisations in the 22 districts.

Thirteen of these 22 districts are covered by the PACS Programme and partner CSOs in these districts were closely involved in the planning and mobilisation for the yatra. The PACS Programme’s involvement was part of its NREGS week being observed in all programme area states from July 3-9, 2006.

The Rozgar Adhikar Yatras started from different points: from Lalitpur in Budelkhand on June 20; Palia in Lakhimpur Kheri in Terai region on June 23; Khadahi in Kushinagar in Poorvanchal on June 24, and Naugarh in Chandauli district on June 25. The yatras covered more than 4000 km, held hundreds of meetings, jan sunwais or public hearings, and submitted memorandums to district administrations in all the blocks, tehsils and districts.

During the yatra, activists found that in all 22 districts where the employment guarantee scheme has been launched, there was still a great deal of ignorance among the people about the programme.

Speakers at the Lucknow sammelan pointed out that many officials did not provide registration forms, and people were made to procure these from the open market. It was also pointed out that only 20 per cent of the people registered under the scheme in UP have been given job cards so far.

Addressing the sammelan, eminent economist Jean Dreze said that it was up to the people of the country to make the scheme a success and struggle to ensure it is implemented. He pointed out that the peoples’ right to employment guarantee is a legitimate and fundamental right. He said the government, social organisations, people's movements, political parties, elected representatives and concerned citizens must protect, conserve and enlarge the scope of the employment guarantee scheme provided through the act.

Convener of the Rozgar Adhikar Yatra, and national coordinator of NACDOR, Ashok Bharti, said NREGA was not the law of any particular political party but a peoples' act, won by the people after along struggle. “The people should realise that it's their own act and they should come forward to take control of it."

Mukul Sharma, convener of World Dignity Forum, stressed the need to continue the struggle till all districts of the country are brought under the act. Santosh Dwivedi, state anchor, PACS Programme, said that the tempo built up by the Rozgar Adhikar Yatra should not be allowed to fade. "Our future strategy should be based on getting employment after the job cards are made," he said.

B Muralidharan, adviser, Millennium Development Goals in Oxfam, said, "This should not be treated as the end of the yatra, but as a beginning, and we will march forward."

Other speakers included CSO and people’s representatives Bhagwat Prasad (Chitrakoot), Basudev (Lalitpur), Ramchander (Kushi Nagar), Nanda Chauhan (Palia), Jagdish Yadav (Rewa), Smt Kusum Lata (Sitapur), Mehrunnisa Ansari (Sitapur), Kaushalya Devi (Pilipbhit), Ramlakhan (Sonbhadra), Rambabu (Kanpur), Siya Dulari (Shankargarh), Kusma (Shivrampur, Chitrakoot).

Rajni Tilak, executive director, Centre for Alternative Dalit Media, who chaired the Rozgar Adhikar Sammelan, presented the Lucknow Declaration, which was unanimously adopted. It vowed to continue the struggle till employment was fully guaranteed.

Read a press report on the Rozgar Adhikar Sammelan:
People urged to make NREGS a success (Indian Express, Lucknow, July 3, 2006)