Eighty per cent of people in India live in villages. But generally speaking, village people are economically somewhat behind the urban population not only in economic terms but also and significantly in employment sector. India can become a strong country only when our rural population gains economic strength. This fact was very clear to the pioneers of India’s freedom struggle. It is in the background of this spirit that the Union Government floated the scheme called Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme (MGNREGA). Actually the scheme came into existence through an Act of the Parliament and gained validity for implementation. The State Government introduced it as a scheme.
Under the aegis of State Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Evaluation Study was conducted in three districts of the State namely Jammu, Pulwama and Leh. The study was meant to find out the impact of the scheme in these districts and this could be done by reaching the beneficiaries who had been registered under the scheme for employment. The scheme does not envisage normal employment on monthly salary basis. The scheme provides for daily wagers; work days available, quantum of work load, and duration of employment and payment of wages within stipulated time. The norms and conditionalities have already been set forth by the planners and the State was required to implement the scheme along the dotted lines. Hence the survey or assessment has also been conducted along the specified lines. The idea is that registered families or individuals seeking their work would be provided with maximum work days and their full engagement on the specified work at worksites. In other words, the purpose is that daily wagers should be spared the hassles of running after the contractors, bargaining over per day wages, and the endless wait for receiving the amount accruing to them as the wages. The MGNREGA goes beyond the work days and regular payment of wages etc. It takes into account social welfare of the labourers and the working families because generally the construction or farm labours carry their families with them to the work site. They would need facilities to give them the idea of dignity of labour. For example they would need crèche for their kids while both parents are working at the site; they would need medical aid particularly in the wake of some serious; physical ailment of accident that would render them incapable of continuing their labour for some weeks or months. They would also need shelter to protect themselves from rain and sunshine. They would need clean drinking water and some more social facilities and cleaner and healthier environment where they raise their shanties.
All these considerations have been provided in the scheme and it is important that employers provide the same to them.
The survey report deals with only three districts of the States. Of course the Evaluation Study has brought out some interesting facts but the picture of how far rural employment scheme has been productive would best be found if all the 22 districts of the State had been targeted for such study. The figures and data that have been provided could perhaps become more credible and authenticated. As the scheme is implemented on long term basis, perhaps it would be better if a supervisory agency was also in place to assess the progress in the implementation of all aspects of the scheme at short intervals. It could be a suggestive and a corrective team under the guidance of respective District Development Commissioners. As the implementation of the scheme is designed to be on district level, the DC concerned could be the nodal agency to coordinate all activities and maintain a record of progress made or shortcomings encountered.
The strengthening of supervisory system is imperative in the light of loopholes detected during the evaluation study. For example no crèche was provided during 2011-12 to the beneficiary households though the Act/Scheme provides for this facility for the working women who need to fend for their newborns also. Another finding that has rightly disturbed the surveyors is that though some of the beneficiaries have been paid within 15 days as provided by the Act/Scheme, but there are a good number of beneficiaries who said that they had to wait for more than a month to receive their wages. The Scheme strictly binds the employers to pay the wages to the labourers within fifteen days at the most.
The Scheme promises medical aid facility for every worksite but actually only 1 per cent of beneficiaries has been provided this facility. Likewise the facility of roof/sheds for the working families has been provided to only 4 per cent of the registered labour force. Overall participation of women in the projects has been bare 11 per cent. Again in the case of surveyed sites, only 54533 persons days out of total 4. 90 lakh person days were availed by women. Overall participation of women in the projects has been bare 11 per cent
The survey report says that one of the problems commonly noted was that the rate of wages paid to the registered workers was less than what was paid to this class in open market. The report has made several suggestions about how the condition of the labour force can be and should be improved. The output had to be evaluated in terms of quality construction. It has been shown that 37 % of works were good, 57 % average and 6 % were poor.
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