Various issues that came up during the PACS Programme's NREGS Campaign 2008 in Bihar were discussed at advocacy workshops held in the Nawada, Gaya, Tirhut and Madhubani clusters between October 16 and October 26, 2008.

Apart from members of civil society organisations (CSOs) associated with the PACS Programme, the workshops were well attended by senior government functionaries, elected representatives of panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) and members of the press.

The Tirhut cluster workshop, held at the zilla sabhagar, Saran, on October 15, 2008, was attended by District Magistrate Prabhat Kumar Sah, the chairperson and secretary of the zilla parishad, PRI members, and journalists.

The Nawada cluster workshop, held on October 16, 2008, at the zilla parishad sabhagar, Bihar Sharif, Nalanda district, was also attended by PRI representatives and the media. Although the district magistrate was unable to attend, the zilla parishad chairperson was present and chaired the workshop. The zilla panchayat vice-chairman, three mukhiyas and one deputy (up) mukhiya were also present.

Several partner CSOs did not attend the advocacy workshop in the Madhubani cluster, held on October 24, 2008, at the Kamala Nehru library in Darbhanga, as they were engaged in rehabilitation activities related to the recent floods in north Bihar. The deputy development commissioner along with two NREGS officials chaired the first session of the workshop. Two zilla parishad members, four mukhiyas and two up-mukhiyas also attended the workshop, as did community and PRI representatives.

Significantly, almost the entire district-level print media was present at the Darbhanga workshop. Media persons were actively involved in the discussions that followed the presentation of each case. (View related press reports here in PDF format).

At the Gaya cluster workshop, organised on October 26, 2008, in Bodh Gaya, among the officials present were Divisional Commissioner K P Rammaia, Block Programme Officer, Bodh Gaya, Saraswati Kumari, the coordinator of the district literacy programme, and two zilla parishad members.  

Issues discussed

A common issue raised at all three workshops was irregularities in job cards. The Saran cluster workshop heard about 30-year-old widow Jailas Devi of Mandai Khurd village, Sirazabad gram panchayat, Sakra block, Muzaffarpur district. Jailas Devi worked for seven days filling earth; her father worked another seven days. Her job card, however, shows she has worked for 152 days!

Karu Manjhi's case was presented at the Nawada workshop. An illiterate musahar, Karu Manjhi got his job card in 2006 but has so far been given no work. His card is with somebody else and shows that he has done 87 days of work.

At the Gaya cluster workshop, the results of a dalit survey undertaken by CSOs were shared. Dalits received lower wages than others, and wages were delayed for 6-12 months. In many cases, no employment was given though the records show otherwise. Only 20% of the dalit community have been issued job cards.

The Madhubani workshop highlighted, among other things, non-payment of unemployment allowance. Most people do not know that if they are not provided work within a stipulated period they must be given an unemployment allowance. No one, not even officials related to the NREGS, knows the process for claiming unemployment allowance.

Other issues that came up for discussion at the Madhubani workshop were lack of a 'shelf of works', poor monitoring of NREGS activities at every level, and poorly trained and uninformed programme officers at the block and district levels.

This point was emphasised at the Nawada workshop where the inexperience of the institutional structure and staff responsible for NREGS implementation came up. Although a few newly-inducted officials are enthusiastic about NREGS implementation in their areas, they know very little about how to design and manage collective labour-intensive activities in rural areas. Gram sevaks view the NREGS as an additional responsibility and resent the extra work. They are therefore slack about its implementation.

A number of technical points came up for discussion. At the Saran workshop, Pramod Kumar Singh, a resource person, explained that the main problem regarding wage payments was that it was not calculated on a per-day basis but on the basis of measurement of work. CSOs need to disseminate information on how wages are calculated.

CSOs must also be aware of changes in wage rates. The implementing agency submits a proposal on the basis of a certain wage rate. If during implementation there is an increase in the rate, workers are still paid according to the old rate even though the implementing agency may have revised its proposal on the basis of the current rate.

Singh added that technical and administrative approval were not needed for work up to Rs 1,00,000; gram sabha approval was enough.

Delays in wage payments and incorrect payments were common experiences shared at all the workshops. At the Nawada cluster meeting it was reported that though, during the launch of NREGS Campaign 2008, the state rural development department secretary had declared that the minimum wage was Rs 81, CSOs had not encountered even one person who had received this wage, during the entire course of the campaign.

Further, although banks have been instructed to open zero-balance accounts for NREGS payments by cheque, they have not followed this through or been pursued by the authorities.

The participation of CSOs in the NREGS Campaign has helped solve some of these problems on an individual basis.

A representative of Samanwaya Tirth, which works in the predominantly dalit village of Lohardieh in Kolhubar gram panchayat, Dumaria block, Gaya district, told the story of Kishori Das who worked for 21 days. His job card, which was with the contractor, stated that he had worked for 49 days. When this was brought to the notice of the panchayat samiti, during a village-level awareness camp, the samiti pulled up the contractor who was made to correct the job card entry. The contractor was also told to return all the workers' job cards.

There were other heartening stories. At the Gaya workshop, the mukhiya of Majhiwana village told the gathering that a positive attitude helps ensure the success of the NREGS. In his village, wage work had been provided to all 25 job card holders who were paid at the rate of Rs 82. However now, he said, there was no work and no funds.  

Suggestions and outcomes

A common feeling at the workshops was that a strong message had been communicated to members of the community and CSOs that the NREGS is demand-driven. However, more effort is required to make beneficiaries understand that work under the NREGS is a right.

Many participants emphasised right to information as an effective tool to ensure proper implementation of the NREGS.

At the Gaya cluster workshop, zilla parishad member Putul Devi stressed that women must put pressure on the mukhiya and rozgar sevak to provide them wage work. Indeed, ensuring equal work opportunities and the inclusion of dalits and persons with disability came up at all the workshops.

Implementing officials must be better trained in their jobs, whether it is micro-planning, calculating wages, or overseeing technical aspects of the NREGS. PRI members too have little technical knowledge about the NREGS and need better training. 

At the Gaya workshop, Divisional Commissioner K P Rammaia called for better monitoring of the scheme by civil society. For the NREGS to be successful, he said, people's participation was essential. He pointed out that not a single case had been filed in a labour court regarding the wage issue. He also advocated greater use of self-help groups in NREGS implementation, as has been done in Andhra Pradesh.

The importance of social audit was highlighted. A resource person at the Saran cluster workshop stressed that panchayat-level monitoring committees should organise social audits, and that they must not be done by an external agency. Likewise, muster roll verification is not being carried out at the worksite; CSOs must demand that muster rolls be available at the workplace, he added.  

Another important point raised was that complaints filed in writing should be verified and supported by proper documents/evidence; oral communication is not enough.

Just as CSOs must push for gram sabha meetings to be held, and for proper documentation of the meetings, villagers must be encouraged to push the NREGS agenda at gram sabha meetings.  

As far as work provided under the NREGS is concerned, it is important to ensure that the work helps create real assets in the village, particularly in dalit tolas. Work already sanctioned must be completed.

Then there is the contentious issue of providing work during the monsoons, and during floods. The Bihar government has decided not to provide NREGS work from June 15 to October 15. CSOs must assess the impact of this decision and suggest an appropriate shelf of works for this period.

Regarding job card irregularities, it was stressed that job cards must be issued on time and must stay with the beneficiary, not with the mukhiya or anyone else. A mechanism is needed to detect fake job cards.

CSOs must help ensure thatwages are correctly calculated and paid on time. Payment through banks, as decreed by the government, will reduce malpractice but villagers need help opening accounts. Banks must be reminded that villagers are allowed to maintain zero-balance accounts.

There must be greater awareness about demanding unemployment allowance; this will ensure that work is provided once an application for it is made.