Five villages in Saunsar tehsil of Chhindwara district in Madhya Pradesh have taken an unusual decision.

The gram sabhas of the five villages of Partapur, Bairagadh, Bhilapar, Sardoni and Sawarni have passed a resolution demanding an increase in the number of days of guaranteed employment under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) from the present 100 to 150.

The resolutions were forwarded to the prime minister, the collector of Chhindwara district and to the CEO of the janpad panchayat, Saunsar tehsil.

Another 10-odd villages in the tehsil, including Kondasaoli, Bhidoni, Mogra, Medhi, Berdi, Gondiwadhona, Dhokdoh, Pipla, Satnoor and Teenkheda are preparing to back the call with similar gram sabha resolutions.

The unusual initiative is a result of the PACS-Programme-supported gramdhoot network that is active in around 90 villages in the tehsil. Gramdhoots are voluntary village workers who are trained to help mobilise the community, analyse issues facing the community, disseminate information on government development programmes, and liaise with various government functionaries and politicians. Initiated by National Institute Of Women Child & Youth Development (NIWCYD), gramdhoots are active in four districts of Madhya Pradesh, Chhindwara being one of them (see Gramdhoots, messengers of change in southern MP).

The gram sabhas' decision came after the sudden spurt in food prices in July-August 2008 . "This year, the daily wage under the NREGS has been raised to Rs 85 per day," says Sardoni gramdhoot, Sangeeta Patil. "But after the price rise, we found that the raised wage actually amounted to less than the earlier wage of Rs 79."

The rise in prices, say gramdhoots, caused intense discussions among villagers about the wage-price equation, which was tipped against them. This talk would not have amounted to more than the usual idle conversation that takes place in every village, but for the initiative taken by Padmakar Thakre, a gramdhoot in Bairagadh village.

Thakre initiated talks on the issue of price rise within the gramdhoot network, and the inadequacy of the NREGS to meet people's needs. The gramdhoots then took the issue to their villages for further discussion and debate.

The decision of the five gram panchayats to demand an increase in the number of working days in the NREGS was a result of these discussions.

Says Sawarni gramdhoot, Chandrakala Parteti : "In my village, the people made systematic calculations of a family's food requirements, prices of all commodities, quantities required and the wage cover needed to meet these requirements."

For example, says Chandrakala, the villagers found that one day's wage of Rs 85 was not enough to buy 1 kg of edible oil (Rs 78) and 1 kg of sugar (Rs 24 ). "We began to question what the meaning of such a wage was."

After detailed discussions, the five villages compared notes." The final observation to which everyone agreed was that the guarantee of 100 days employment at best provided a family an income of Rs 8,500 annually, whereas the survival requirement of a family of five was between Rs 14,000 and Rs 15, 000," says Padmakar Thakre.

To meet this requirement, the villagers decided that 150 days of guaranteed employment to one member of the family was needed.

A resolution to this effect was presented in the gram sabhas of the above-mentioned five villages on August 15, 2008, and, after discussions, was passed on August 17.

The firm resolve of the five villages and their gramdhoots has taken even supportive agencies by surprise. Says S R Dhawle of PACS Programme CSO Adivasi Gramin Vikas Sanstha, which coordinates the gramdhoot network in Saunsar district:" This resolution had nothing to do with any ideas provided by an outsider. It was purely a decision of the villagers, guided by the gramdhoots. The villagers made their own calculations, arrived at their own conclusions, and decided on the figure of 150 days entirely on their own."

Within a week the resolutions were forwarded to higher officials, but no response has so far been received from any quarter. Undaunted, the Saunsar block gramdhoot network is preparing to bring pressure on the government by spreading the campaign to other villages in the block.

The gramdhoot network of Saunsar block had done excellent work in ensuring that the whole of Chhindwara district is covered under the NREGS. Though predominantly tribal and populated by economically disadvantaged people, the district was initially left out of the NREGS network. But the gramdhoots of around 90 villages in the block undertook a sustained campaign for inclusion of the district. Around 300 letters from gramdhoots, SHGs and gram panchayats of the 90 villages were sent to the state government. In March 2007, the district was included under the NREGS.

Although officials have not responded yet to the gram sabhas' demand, the gramdhoot network of Saunsar block is confident that the demand will be met.

"We have done it once and we will do it again," says Chandrakala who played an active role in the March 2007 success . "Ten other villages are already preparing to pass resolutions to this effect in November. With sustained campaigning and with the help of our network, we are trying to get more villages to do the same."

The Adivasi Gramin Vikas Sanstha will help villagers organise their campaign for 150 days of employment, which is expected to start in November 2008.

The villagers intend to use the same plan of action that resulted in their inclusion under the NREGS . "We will send letters to the prime minister from everyone," says Chandrakala. "This time our target is at least 1,000 letters."

Still, people are aware of the difference between getting a district included in the NREGS and making a change in NREGS policy. " We know that we have taken on a more difficult task , says" the gramdhoot of Bhilapar village, Dilip Chore. "But it is also an issue which is close to the hearts of a lot of people all over the country, and so once the call is given we are likely to get more support than we expect. Anyway, we will keep campaigning until we get what we want."