Altogether, four surveys were conducted over almost a year, the first one in July-September 2006, the second in October-December 2006, the third in January-March 2007 and the fourth in April-June 2007.

First survey

The first survey, held in July-September 2006, focused on establishing levels of awareness about the NREGS, number of applicants, and assessing government initiatives. The survey covered 880 households.

While carrying out the survey, MVS staff also worked to create awareness about the NREGS by updating the community on the method of application, creating a grievance redressal mechanism, and enabling the filing of 1,000 work applications.

Key findings of this survey were:

• While 805 families applied for job cards, only 110 families got job cards; 695 families had not received job cards 15 days after they had applied.
• People who gave in job card applications had little information about the NREGS. There was very little effort on the part of the government to disseminate information on the NREGS.
• Job cards were incomplete; dates and signatures of authorised persons were missing on most cards.
• Applicants had to pay for the photographs on their job cards.

Second survey

The second survey, that took place between October and December 2006, found that:

• 316 additional job cards were given.
• Corrections were made in incomplete job cards.
• The number of applications for work had increased, but job card holders were not allocated work due to the code of conduct being in force before the panchayat by-elections.
• 40 applications for unemployment allowance were made.

Third survey

The NREGS was implemented from December 2006 after the panchayat by-elections were over. The weather was also favourable for manual work. MVS’s third survey concentrated on:

• Work sites.
• Wages payments.
• Facilities at work sites.

In this survey, MVS also tracked the job cards of families doing NREGS work.

MVS found that:

• On average, 75% of job card holders could not get work.
• On average, only 15 days of work was provided to those who got work.
• There was a high level of irregularity in wage distribution.
• The minimum wage on the job card was registered as Rs 64; the minimum wage in the area is Rs 68.50 per day.
• Drinking water was available at all work sites but there was no provision for shade, a crèche, a first aid box, etc, at any work site.

Fourth survey

For the fourth survey, from April to June 2007, MVS decided not only to track job cards but also mobilise people to file applications for work.

It found that:

• The wage paid to applicants was Rs 50-64 although the minimum wage is Rs 68.50. Women were paid Rs 10-15 less than male workers.
• A maximum of 27 work days was provided to applicant families against the 100 work days assured under the NREGS.
• Provision for shade, a crèche, a first aid box, etc, had yet to be made at the work sites.

Impact

Chief functionary of MVS, Lila Kumari, said the team faced a lot of pressure from the authorities to stop tracking implementation of the NREGS. At the same time, they were encouraged to continue because of support from the people who were being benefited.

Almost all the villagers in the survey area are now aware of the NREGS and its rules, she says. “Villagers have started asking uncomfortable questions to the panchayat secretary and the mukhiya. They demand to know when they will get their job cards, and when the work will start. They refuse to pay for the photographs on their job cards, knowing now that the demand is illegal.”

MVS has started an NREGS help desk and is planning to meet the block development officer to get more information on this and other schemes to which people are entitled.

Some of the overall findings of the four surveys are:

• Of the 320 job cards tracked, 204 had registration numbers, 44 had no registration numbers, and 72 were not in the possession of applicant families.
• The total number of work days shown on the job cards was 3,683. The actual total number of work days, the survey discovered, was 3,524.
• While the daily wage paid to workers on their cards was shown to be Rs 68, the actual wage paid was Rs 60.
• Total wages paid, according to details on the cards, was Rs 251,599. The actual amount paid was Rs 211,440.

(This report is based on inputs from Communicators for Development, the PACS Programme’s communications agency for Bihar)