Mica Nregs

NREGS
A STUDY OF SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD MODELS
NREGS: A Study of Sustainable Livelihood Models
The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) West Bengal A Study of Sustainable Livelihood Models
Lead Researchers Karthik Raghavan Niki Singh Saswata Das Shardul Bist Subhamoy Das Unnati Gajjar Veena Singh Vibha Singh Special Contributors Development of Research and Communication Service Centre (DRCSC)
MICARVAAN: A Rural Immersion Program
Mudra Institute of Communications, Entrepreneurship Development Cell (MICA EDC) Ahmedabad September 2008
Acknowledgement The research on which this paper rests could not have been carried out without the kind collaboration of Development of Research and Communications Service Centre (DRCSC). Many people have contributed to this report, and at the risk of leaving some people out, we would like to thanks a few special ones. Thanks Sujeeth Da, our key contacts in West Bengal with whom we had several discussions. The NREGS overview in West Bengal provided by Raju Da was quite beneficial. Thanks to Milan Da for providing us constant encouragement, motivation and full support. We are grateful to Anshuman Da who gave us this opportunity to take this untraditional project. Thanks also to Nupur Da, Gulam Da and Ram Da with whom we interacted during our visit to different villages. Last but not the least, thanks to representatives of Gram Panchayat and all the villagers who gave their full cooperation while group discussions and personal interviews.
TABLEOFCONTENTS
TableOfContents 4 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ExecutiveSummary 5 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Chapter1 UnderstandingNREGA 8 WhatisNREGA? 8 SalientFeaturesofNREGA 9 WhatdoCriticsSay? 11 NREGAinWestBengal 12 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Chapter2 NGOsinCollaboration:ABriefProfile 13 DevelopmentResearchCommunicationServiceCentre(DRCSC) 13 Swanirvar 14 Suhriday 15 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Chapter3 StudyofDRCSCModel 17 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Chapter4 CaseStudies 22 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Chapter5 32 FindingsandAnalysis NeedforrightCommunicationpathway 32 RightHumanResourcesrequired 34 RedirectionofFundFlow 34 PoliticalNuances 35 ImproperPlanning 36 ImproperExecution 37 ComparativeAnalysis 39 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Chapter6 Recommendations:APathAhead 41 CommunityModel 41 ProperPlanning 42 DalFormation 43 GenerateSustainableAssets 44 InvolvementofOtherAgencies 45 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Exhibit 47 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Annexure 53 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 4
ExecutiveSummary
As per the Indian governments Census 2001, rural India constitutes 72.2% of Indian population of which around 33% population is under the poverty line. If India has to realize its promised growth and development, it is imperative that this multitude of people be able to earn their livelihood in a sustainable way. This is the very objective with which the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act was passed in the year 2005 with an objective of providing 100 days of employment in way of manual labor which uses unskilled labor and with the help of that, create sustainable community assets. But like many of the other acts before it, this one also raises many questions over the execution of the scheme and loopholes in the act itself. The central government defines Unskilled labor under this act as: 1. Water conversation & water harvesting (digging new ponds, percolation tanks, dams etc) 2. Drought proofing (afforestation/ tree plantation) 3. Micro irrigation works (minor irrigation canals etc) 4. Provision of irrigation facility to land owned by SC/ST 5. Renovation of traditional water bodies (de-silting of tanks/ponds, canals, wells etc) 6. Land development (plantation, land leveling etc ) 7. Flood control & protection (Drainage in water logged areas, construction & repair of embankment) 8. Rural connectivity (Specific work to be indicated separately) 9. Any other activity approved by MoRD This report focuses on the implementation of NREGS scheme in the state of West Bengal and at the same time tries to find some other successful models which are being implemented by non governmental organizations over the years. The aim of the report is to try to find alternate models that can be implemented through NREGS. A total geographical area of 24 villages across three districts Purulia, Birbhum and North 24 Parganas were covered for the research.
ResearchObjective
1. To study the existing problems among the functioning of the stakeholder groups of NREGA active at village level so that new models of creating community assets can be developed. 2. To analyze the effectiveness of the sustainable water harvesting models suggested and implemented by DRCSC so that it can be proposed to Ministry of Rural Development (MRD) to get befitted into the NREG scheme. Keeping in mind the exploratory nature of the research and also the limitations of time and geographical area covered, it was decided that qualitative research would be the best approach in this case. Case study approach and direct interaction with the stakeholder groups like the villagers, officials, NGOs etc through group discussions and interviews were followed. The focus of these interviews was mainly on the issues of employment generation for the eligible job seekers and sustainable asset development for community.
StakeholdersIdentified
Gram Panchayat & Gram Sabha Community utilizing the community assets Wage Seekers Other NGOs and Implementing Agencies
GeographicalAreaCovered
Birbhum, Purulia and North 24 Parganas are 3 districts which were identified as the arena of research. The reason to choose these 3 districts is their varied climatic conditions. Birbhum: A District divided into sub-parts prone to either drought or flood Purulia: A drought prone region. North 24 Parganas: A region prone to floods. All 3 districts present 3 different types of climate and vegetation which gave the scope of understanding the functioning of NREGS in different conditions.
AreasCoveredintheResearch
The following were some areas which were addressed while conducting interviews and group discussions. The roles and importance of each factor were researched at different levels with different stakeholders. Role of Gram Panchayat Role of other stakeholders operating at block, district, state and central level Minimum wages paid Right of Information Act Budget/Funds Unemployment allowance Employment days
TheDeliverables
The research has been conducted with close support from DRCSC, an NGO which has been working at the grass root level in the districts mentioned above & has successfully developed eco-friendly, economically profitable and sustainable livelihood models as pilot projects in these villages. These projects took unskilled labors or more aptly put the poorer section of the hamlets as their primary target audience. The whole plan was to develop the team spirit amongst small groups of 10 odd families so that they own & execute projects in the vicinity of their villages & thus develop the feeling ownership amongst these villagers. From DRCSCs end, these villagers were provided with the primary monetary assistance, technical expertise & training required for the execution of the projects. This report focuses on these very models implemented by DRCSC and gives a detailed analysis on how these models can be integrated with NREGS. It gives a comparative study of these models vis--vis the models implemented through NREGS. This report covers a lot of ground in terms of uncovering the ground realities of the implementation of the NREGS and various intricacies involved in it and gives recommendations which can be implemented in a centralized way as well as measures that can be implemented at Panchayat level which address the problems uncovered.
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Chapter1
UNDERSTANDINGNREGA
WhatisNREGA?
NREGA stands for National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (2005) enacted on September 2005 & brought into force with effect from February 2006 in 200 most backward districts; covering all districts of the country within next five years. The objective of the act is enhancement of livelihood security of rural household by providing at least one hundred days of guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. Simply put, the primary objective of the act is enhancement of livelihood security in rural areas by providing 100 days of unskilled manual work with the auxiliary objective being: The objective of the act is enGenerating productive assets hancement of livelihood security of Protecting the environment rural household by providing at Empowering rural women least one hundred days of guaranteed wage employment in every Reducing rural-urban migration financial year to every household Fostering social equity whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. The NREGA marks a paradigm shift & stands out amongst other rural employment programmes as it empowers the rural population with a legal right & employment guarantee through an act of parliament, unlike other wage employment programmes. The act targets unskilled laborers in the rural sections of this country which includes landless labors, SCs/STs & women. At this juncture, defining unskilled work is necessitated: Water conversation & water harvesting (digging new ponds, percolation tanks, dams etc) Drought proofing (forestation/ tree plantation) Micro irrigation works (minor irrigation canals etc) Provision of irrigation facility to land owned by SC/ST Renovation of traditional water bodies (de-silting of tanks/ponds, canals, wells etc) Land development (plantation, land leveling etc ) Flood control & protection (Drainage in water logged areas, construction & repair of embankment) 8. Rural connectivity (Specific work to be indicated separately) 9. Any other activity approved by MRD 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
SalientFeaturesofNREGA
Adult member of a rural household, willing to do unskilled labor, may apply for registration in writing or orally to the local gram Panchayat, for free The gram Panchayat after due verification issues job cards, within 15 days of application A job card holder may submit a written application for employment to the gram Panchayat stating the time & duration for which the work is sought. Application of work should be for at least 14 days of continuous work with not more than 6 days per week Employment will be provided within 15 days of application, if it is not then the applicant is liable to receive unemployment allowance as per the act Wages are to be paid in accordance to the Minimum Wages Act 1948 for agricultural work in the state, unless the central government notifies a wage rate which wont be less than Rs. 60/- per day; wages being equal for both men & women Not more than 40% of the fund is allocated for the costs of material components of the project (inclusive of the wages for the semi-skilled & skilled labor) 60% or more of the fund allotted is to be expensed towards wages of the unskilled labor Total finances is shared by the central & state government in 90-10 ratio; the material cost divided in 75-25 ratio The scheme shall not permit engaging any contractor for implementation of the projects under it As far as practicable, a task funded under this scheme shall be performed using manual labor & not machines As for as possible, employment shall be provided within a radius of 5 km of the village where the applicant resides at the time of applying. In case its beyond 5 km, it has to be within the block & the applicant has to be paid 10% of the wage rate as additional allowances A new work under the scheme shall be commenced only if: o At least 50 laborers become available for such work; and o The laborers cannot be absorbed in the ongoing work Work site facilities include crche, drinking water among others Social audit to be done by the gram Sabha Grievance redressal mechanisms have to be put in place for ensuring a responsive implementation process
NREGA ranks amongst the most powerful initiatives ever undertaken for rural employment in India, so much so that, the monetary valuation of the entire project was around 2% of the national GDP in 2005. A project of such magnitude demands lots of nitty-grittys to ensure smooth operations & benefits for the intended audience, to put all of that in a nutshell, here are a few important features of the act.
MoRD(Ministryof RuralDevelopment) NEGC(NationalEm ploymentGuarantee Council)
PolicyMaker
StateGovernment Advisory,Monitoring &Evaluation
SEGC(StateEm ploymentGuarantee Council)
DistrictPlanning Committee
DistrictPanchayat
Implementation
PO
IntermediatePan chayat
Planning,Supervis ing&Monitoring
GramPanchayat
GramSabha
EXECUTIONCYCLE
Theabovefig.explainstheentireprocedureofexecution&implementationoftheprojectsunderNREGA throughitsbureaucraticjourney.ItoriginatesattheofficeofMinistryofRuralDevelopment&culminates attheGramPanchayatlevelfurtherpercolatingdowntotheunskilledlaborsintermsofemployment.The numerousinterventionsslowdowntheentireprocedureatthecostofmultiplefilteringwhichwasin tendedtokeepthesystemcorruptionfree.
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WhatdoCriticsSay?
The act in its entirety is beneficial to the rural poor who form a major chunk of the Indian population & this cannot be denied. To quote Mr. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, Rural Development Minister at National Consultation on NREGA held on 16th May, 2008 Wages for NREGA works now go directly into 1.4 crores bank accounts, belonging to workers, to ensure transparency. Also, implementation of NREGA has forced the government & private employers to provide minimum wages to the poorest of poor employees, as the act has increased the bargaining power of the poor at every stage from demanding a job card to ensuring legitimate wages for work. NREGA has immensely helped in controlling migraAlso, the fact that the cost involved tion from villages to metros & other villages which is an is huge & might not be affordable achievement in its own right. To put facts & figures straight, for the country in future, owing to NREGS created more than 90 crores man-days of employsharp rise in interest rates & nament in 200 districts as against 83 crores man-days per year tions fiscal deficit. together by SGRY & NFFWP in 586 districts during 2001061. Having said all this, its important to understand that a similar exercise in Maharashtra at a much smaller scale under the name Maharashtra Employment Guarantee Scheme has become synonymous with leakage of public funds to the local bureaucracy & politicians over the period of 30 years of its existence. Such instances raise the apprehensions amongst the stake holders involved. Also, the fact that the cost involved is huge & might not be affordable for the country in future, owing to sharp rise in interest rates & nations fiscal deficit. At the execution level as well, the mechanism seems to be a bit skewed as its uniform throughout the nation, ignoring the regional diversity in terms of topography, culture etc. Also, disinterest on state governments part adds to the ineffective execution of the project in the first phase.
NREGASuccessStory
Residents of Panihari village are a happy lot. They are celebrating freedom from floods for the first time in living memory. Agricultural wages have increased across the district in the past one year. They say their lives have improved because of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA). Utilizing the employment opportunity that came their way through NREGA, residents of Panihari in Sirsa finished constructing a 2-km embankment on the Ghaggar River in February this year. (Source: http://nrega.nic.in/Reportfromfield/NREGA_harayana_success.pdf)
1DatafromCentreforBudgetandGovernanceAccountability
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SomeNumberCrunching
Employment provided to households: Person days [in Lakh]: Total: SCs: STs: Women: Others: Total fund: Expenditure: Total works taken up: Works completed: Works in progress: 365.82 111.89 [30.59%] 120.61 [32.97%] 50.18 [13.72%] 133.31 [36.44%] 789.57 Crore. 307.14 Crore. 51333 19593 31740 18.95136 Lakhs
NREGAinWestBengal
The table gives the state report submitted by NREGA for West Bengal. The report reduces the entire exercise into a mathematical jargon, however on a closer look the picture seems to be in a withered state. The primary objective of the act is creation of sustainable assets for the community by creating 100 man-days of unskilled work for the poor. However, the first part seems to get amiss, as PRIs concentrate on the employment generation, which essentially doesnt differentiate the act from its counterparts. Also, decisions taken at the Central Government doesnt seem to hold good at the grass root level owing to diverse changes like topography, climate, people etc. hence execution at the PRI level is important. Many such issues are called for when it comes to this state & we happen to look into this window with our limitations in the report that follows.
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Chapter2 NGOSINCOLLABORATION:ABRIEFPROFILE
Development Research Communication Service Centre (DRCSC)
DRCSC is a non-government development organization which operates in 12 districts of West Bengal and other states. They primarily work in the purview of food and livelihood security of the rural poor through sustainable management of natural resources on the basis of principles and actions, that are environment friendly, economically appropriate, socially just and developed by mutual cooperation.
Background
Development Research Communication and Services Centre (DRCSC) was formed in 1982 as a resource centre for collection, collation and dissemination of information on various socioeconomic issues and to highlight the struggles of various NGOs, CBOs and individuals to ensure social justice; especially for informal sector workers, indigenous communities and small and marginal farmers/landless labourers as well as self employed artisans. Along with that, since 1992, the centre focused on Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resource Management for improving food and livelihood security of the rural poor. The resource centre started to expand its services through a Network of local NGOs and Development Cooperation Groups.
AreasofInvolvement Enhancingproduction of food, fodder, fuel etc. through training, demonstrations and col-
laborative field trials on sustainable utilization of natural resources. Establishing market linkages through consumer awareness for the organic growers. Assisting rural communities to conserve and regenerate common properly resources like grazing lands, ponds and wetlands, roadside and canal bank/riverbank areas, permanent fallows etc. through group based management Enabling school teachers and educational workers to promote environmental awareness and activity based participatory learning among children and adolescents and to take up agro based enterprises. Arranging and supporting documentation of overall developmental issues, indigenous technologies and knowledge especially in the areas of food production and processing, seed selection and storage, nutrition and health care, water harvesting and storage etc
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Assisting and capacitating small organizations to develop and maintain libraries, documentation centres, seed centres and nurseries, revolving funds, grain banks, bio-labs, publication design and production units etc. and also to develop food security and environmental protection related projects
Methodsofoperation
Enhancing production of food, fodder, fuel etc. through training, demonstrations and collaborative field trials on sustainable utilization of natural resources. To form a network or establish a strong linkages between formal and non-formal organisations and also with organisations beyond the immediate purview of our activities so that the effect of their development work, programmes and initiatives may be farreaching and sustainable. To influence people in the corridors of power for formulation of policies in favour of the people especially the poor and the marginalised with special emphasis on women and children. To work for the awareness about the effect of macro issues at the grassroot level.
Swanirvar
Swanirvar started work in 5 villages in the North 24 Parganas district near Calcutta in December 1989. Dr Sujit Sinha started Swanirvar with the idea of developing the rural area holistically with the help of local people. Their primary focus is on improving the quality of education and health, developing appropriate rural technologies, implementing income generation and savings activities and pursuing sustainable agriculture methods. It has always been guided by the philosophy that while development is primarily concerned with people, it must involve the indigenous people of that region. Towards that goal, it started with developing the following broad areas: Education and Health Organization, Leadership, and Planning Appropriate Rural Technology Savings and Income Generation Agriculture Over the years, its work has spread to 58 villages in 4 blocks (Baduria, Deganga, Swarupnagar, and Basirhat 1) of North 24 Parganas district, and in additional districts of West Bengal. It was
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recently nominated to be the District Technical Agency (DTA) to help the government deliver its large scale poverty alleviation program.
Areasofactivity
Pre-primary Education 14 centres with 900 children Primary Education 4 schools with 520 students Youth and Culture in 8 villages, with 600 children between 10 and 18 years of age. Collaborations with Government Education System: In 150 primary and SSK schools, 17 secondary schools, 20 ICDS centres, Basirhat College. Arsenic mitigation in drinking water in 90 villages. Sustainable agriculture 115 villages in 7 Blocks with around 10,000 farmers. Micro-finance in 69 villages, through 7000 women in 620 self-help groups. Health (Till 2000) -- mother and child care in 11 villages; regular blood donation camps, some cataract operation camps. Gram Panchayat creating participatory structures and planning systems in four GPs; intensive experiment in one GP in 2002. Flood Relief in 2000-2001. Community-based Disaster Preparedness in one gram Panchayat in 2001 Shikshamitra: An experimental secondary school and an Education Resource Centre started in 2005 in Kolkata.
Suhriday
Mr. Abdul Rahim Mullick one of the chief founders of the NGO runs the organization with a handful of young enthusiasts who do honorary work.The NGO does a lot of work at the grass root levels imparting knowledge and training to the local farmers and working towards developing sustainable livelihood models. That this NGOs efforts are bearing fruits was evident to us when we met a farmer named Azizur Rehman Gazi whom we found to be very enlightened. We were so impressed after speaking to him that we almost named him the enlightened farmer. He had attended the Krishi Pathshala, a
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unique initiative of Suhriday. At these Krishi Pathshalas the farmers receive training on various methods and techniques to improve their agricultural productivity in spite of the adverse weather and topographical conditions. Several farmers attend the same and many have really benefited from this training camp. What really impressed us over and above the functional training that these farmers have received is the noticeable change in the mindset of these people. When we spoke to our enlightened farmer we could see a vision in his eyes. The fact that he had been benefited from the efforts of the NGO was very clear. But the enthusiasm in him in spreading the knowledge to his fellow farmers so that everyone could reap the same benefits was commendable. The very change in his mindsetcoming out of the traditional forms of farming to accepting new techniques, taking the risk and experimenting was inspiring. We believe if we can create at least one such enlightened farmer in each and every village in India, who in turn will themselves spread the knowledge, it will change the face of our villages.
At these Krishi Pathshalas the farmers receive training on various methods and techniques to improve their agricultural productivity in spite of the adverse weather and topographical conditions.
Now that is something which will go a long way in improving the state of affairs. Full credit to Suhriday for has been able to do that. Its a big achievement we might admit. Hats off to them! We would sincerely request the donor community to look at NGOs like Suhriday, who may not be well known, due to lack of funds to adequately promote them, but are actually working hard at the grass root levels.

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Chapter3 STUDYOFDRCSCMODEL
Village:KhoskadamPur District:Birbhum State:WestBengal FOODFOREST
A group of 18 villagers together leased an existing pond owned by a private party and the surrounding lands owned by the village Panchayat for a period of twenty years. This was done with an agreement that the profit would be shared between the group members and the Panchayat in a ratio of 75:25. The pond is used as the main source of irrigation for the land thus leased and this land is used to grow several fruits, vegetables and crops like pomegranate, blackberries, brinjal, ladys finger etc. The pond is used further for fisheries and growing ducks. The fish and duck excreta present in the pond also work as a source of organic manure (Refer to Exhibit 4, Fig. 1). The group members do not invest any thing in the beginning, all the financial help comes through DRSC. However, the members will pay back half the amount of the loan from the profits earned from the whole project. The funds from DRCSC are arranged from various government and non governmental organizations. This food forest serves as a community asset serving all the villagers who have worked in the food forest development. Food forest consisting of a variety plants growing together adds to soil fertility. The pond around which this food forest is developed aids the irrigation of these plants and trees. DRCSC keeps constant check on the maintenance of the food forest.
COST
Man days Labor Generated Rate 2856 70

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Labor Cost 1,99,20
Material Cost 35,000
Total Cost 2,34,500
Village:Salya STEPPOND District: Purulia State: West Bengal
Ponds in villages are used as primary source of water. However, apart from water utilization for day to day household and sanitation purposes these ponds also serve as home for ducks and fishes. DRCSC has helped dig many ponds in these West Bengal villages however simple ponds fail to remain sustainable in various villages where the climatic conditions are not conducive. Keeping in mind the climatic conditions and the topographic characteristics of the various villages a step pond model has been designed. This model is designed primarily for the dry areas and where the land is stony owing to heat. The step pond model suggests that a simple pond having a single surface should rather be formed in the form of a step wise walls and the pond will have many subsequent surfaces cut one after another (Refer to Exhibit 4, Fig. 2).
The idea behind developing such a model is that the water in the pond in dry and scorching areas is very prone to evaporation due to immense heat. If the wall of the pond would be in a stepwise form the water will evaporate at the upper most level which is on the ground level and subsequently the lower level water would get affected. Thus, even if water gets dried on the surface at the lower level water will be available for vz consumption.
COST
Man Days 1950

Labor Rate 68
Labor Cost 132600
Material Cost NIL
Total Cost 132600
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Village:Sonathali District:Purulia State:WestBengal SOCIALFORESTRY
Social forestry is a model in the villages where the fundamental idea is to plant a variety of trees to foster soil conservation and increase soil fertility. The plantation done by NREGA is primarily based on the plantation of Eucalyptus and Acacia trees. A large number of families from the village are involved in this model and these trees are used only for fuel and are used only for their wood once they grow. The officials who are in charge of this tree plantation tend to allow them to grow and then cut them before their tenure in the particular area gets over. The reason behind this is that they want to make the most of it before they are transferred. The wood from these trees are sold and utilized primarily as fuel. At the same time these trees also have medicinal value which is untapped. DRCSCs model as a corresponding model to the NREGA suggests plantation of a variety of plants and trees in between the acacia and eucalyptus plants so that the fertility of the soil remains intact. A new form of dam structure is built in the fields amongst the trees with the reason of soil conservation. Semi-circular dams are built with a view to conserve soil (Refer to Exhibit 4, Fig. 3). Rearing of silkworms on mulberry trees is another aspect of the social forestry model. These silkworms when grow in the mulberry fruits, are used to derive silk. Silk is derived in very select month of the year and is a major revenue source for the villagers who are involved.
COST
Man Days Generated 1073 Labor Rate 68 Labor Cost 72964 Material Cost 289001 Total Cost 365715
Well Digging, Machinery, Well Paving Mixed Cropping
50 750
75 75
3750 56250
NIL 1800
3750 74250
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NURSERY
Village:Bolpur
This model works on the idea that lot of land is not used productively, especially the land which lies next to the roads in the villages. On both roadsides a number of plants and trees are grown for various purposes. These plants are guarded from the top by a roof like structure and also are given a certain boundary. Thus, the land which was lying waste though near by to the village was made useful by the villagers. This creates employment as well as the returns in terms of fruits and vegetables.
COST
District: Birbhum State: West Bengal
Man Days Labor Labor Material Total Generated Rate Cost Cost Cost Nursery 40 60 60 60 2400 4800 43800 1200 NIL NIL 3600 4800 43800
Plantation 80 730 2year Protection Total 850
51000
1200
53200
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Village:Chatanigora District:Purulia State:WestBengal
SERICULTURE
Seri-culture is a new approach of social forestry. Till now the only model welcomed in the District: Birbhum Acacia and social forestry was Eucalyptus plantation due to State: West Bengal mainteneasy returns and low ance of it. However, Seri-culture has received higher acceptance when it comes to maintaining soil fertility and long term benefits. Seri-culture is practiced in the regions where the Sudhoarjun trees (Desi trees) are planted. Silk worm rearing is done on these trees to develop a typical ecological system. The silk worms reside on these trees and feed on the leaves of the trees. The silk excreta make the land around the tree fertile, which always other grass to grow around these trees unlike the case in Eucalyptus plantation. This grass is used as fuel for cooking purposes. The silk worms produce silk twice a year, which is later sold for commercial purposes. The wood of these trees is also used for fuel purposes and furniture. The tree branches are cut once in a year for fuel requirements of the community. Mulberry trees are also grown for silk worm rearing. In fact, the silk from Mulberry trees are of better quality, which is more profitable in terms of commercial value of silk. There is no live example of this kind of plantation in the villages yet. DRCSC is planning a mixed plantation of few mulberry trees surrounded by the Sudhoarjun trees in the village Chatanigora, in the district of Purulia. The normal practice of Seri-culture is observed as the land rejuvenation after the eucalyptus plantation; as such farming restores the fertility of the land. However, the acceptance of Seri-culture has increased and villagers are adopting this model in various innovative forms. As compared to social forestry, it not just provides earnings from wood but also from silk. Moreover, the land fertility is also maintained by the grass growing beside the trees. Also, the insect excreta act as organic manure to the land. However this kind of plantation is that it demands lots of patience and maintenance.
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Chapter4 CASESTUDIES
MADHABDAFOODFOREST
Madhab Da, a landless labourer lives with his family in Khaskadam Pur in Birbhum district. Like most of the people in his village, life was not easy for him. As Ghulam Mustafa, project leader with DRCSC, stated philosophically, a poor mans income depends on a number of activities he does as they do not have a single reliable source. Being landless was no less than a curse to these families. NREGA projects got them some money occasionally. Madhab Da usually went to Sitapur or Gopta for work and worked as a labourer, building roads, digging ponds and planting trees, a highly unpredictable source of income. One fine day Ghulam Mustafa, who shared good relations with the villagers called a meeting. He said he would help them develop a social forest. Madhab Da, like the others was unclear about the benefits of it and Ghulam Da explained to them in detail. Madhab Da along with 39 other members formed a Dal. It is called the Pallimangal Dal. A certain area of waste land around a pond was identified and was given to them by the Panchayat. Madhab Da and his friends started by building a temporary bamboo shed near the pond. The Food forest was developed by planting trees of various types along with climbers and root plants. Being landless was no less than a curse to these famiHowever, the Dal was facing some internal problems of its lies. NREGA projects got own. By now one of the members had quit the Dal. Further them some money occatalks with the Panchayat led to the Dal getting the permission sionally. Madhab Da of utilizing the pond too. Work on the pond Kamarpukur was usually went to Sitapur or begun in 2004. DRCSC contributed Rs. 10,000 for the pond Gopta for work and and Rs.22, 000 for the food forest. The fishes in the first year worked as a laborer, buildwere just enough for their consumption. Gradually the Dal ing roads, digging ponds started selling fish in the local market and even though it added and planting trees, a highvery little to their income, it was a welcome addition neverthely unpredictable source of income. less. At present the Dal consists of only 18 members after one member dropped out of the Dal 2 years back.
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Today, life for Madhab Da and many others has changed phenomenally. The food forest provides them not only food but also fodder for their cattle and fuel wood. The Dal has also started breeding ducks which became a further source of income. The eggs laid by these ducks are sent to the market to be sold after the personal consumption needs of these 18 families, which are dependent on the lake, are met. The Dal guards the pond on a shift- wise basis, generally 2 members during the day and 4 at night. The income generated is also used for philanthropic causes, which is at times contributed to the needy during someones marriage, death of a landless labour, accident, house building etc. Madhab Da believes that in this way they do whatever little they can to help the other which was otherwise not possible earlier.
He is no more dependent on others for his livelihood. It has been only four years since he became a part of the Food Forest but he says he can see the days ahead in the future when all the trees will cover the area with greenery and their hard work and dedication will reap benefits.
Madhab Da says only a handful of the villagers are getting deriving some considerable benefit from this project. He lives in a village of 450 families, most of them landless. More of such innovative ideas and self- help groups (SHGs) are required to motivate the landless labourers to build a sustainable livelihood for themselves and their community as a whole. He adds that earlier he was a laborer working for others but today he has a permanent source of income. He is no more dependent on others for his livelihood. It has been only four years since he became a part of the Food Forest but he says he can see the days ahead in the future when all the trees will cover the area with greenery and their hard work and dedication will reap benefits. Apart from the monetary benefits he also believes that the community feeling has only become stronger by the day. He also occasionally takes out time to indulge in Baul Sangeet, an interest which had almost died. He sang a few folk songs for us which described how culturally rich the district is.
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EMPOWEREDWOMEN
In Chatra Panchayat of North 24 Parganas lies the village Ghoshpur which looks almost the same like any other village in this area. However, it is not entirely the same anymore. The lives of people here have changed. Until a few years back the villagers faced the same problem as that of the others. This was water logging, aggravated by the fact that there is very small area of land per family. Adding to their plight, this area of North 24 Parganas is known for its ability to grow only one crop a year. Farming was not at all a dependable source of income. Women in this village sew football jerseys to add to the family income. There was no sustainable livelihood system in place in the village.
This area of North 24 Parganas is known for its ability to grow only one crop a year. Farming was not at all a dependable source of income. Women in this village sew football jerseys to add to the family income.
Ram Da, a DRCSC leader talked to the women of the village and told them about the importance of a Samiti, urging them to form a Mahila Samiti for their convenience. This was in the year 2004 when only 10 to 12 women came forward and took the initiative. Soon the Jamuna Mahila Samiti was formed with 16 members. Land was located and training was given to the Mahila Samiti members on how to utilize the entire land and also how to shift from fertilizers to natural compost. The initial monetary support was provided to them by DRCSC. Ram Da supplied seeds to the Samiti for the purpose of planting, and the bed concept of farming was applied here where the water flow is directed in a certain manner which does not flood the farm. Along with this, land shaping was also done on the land. The Samiti members were encouraged to plant creepers which would be high above the water level in the rainy seasons.
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The Samiti members say that after the formation of the group, hardly any land goes waste. It is used for various kinds of plantation depending on the favourable conditions prevailing in the area under cultivation. The slow shift to organic farming has also brought them a lot of benefits. Organically grown vegetables fetch them a higher price as compared to other vegetables, even in the local market. This proves that there is a huge market which can be tapped into, for organic vegetables. The Service centre organizes various camps and training sessions such as the Awareness Camp, Introductory Training, Food Processing Training, Duck and Fish keeping Training. These are held in the village and the ARTC. Apart from farming, the Samiti was also aided by the Service Centre in the form of a loan for the spices business. Initially the function was limited only to packaging. A camp on Adulterated Food brought about a sea change. The Samiti called for a meeting right after the camp and realized that the masalas available in the market consisted of harmful chemicals. They decided to expand their spices' business. From merely packing, they moved on to buying raw materials, processing it and then selling it in the market. They used the spices first for personal consumption in the group, followed by distributing among friends and then, on approval, selling it in the market. The Samiti has already started supplying it to hotels. Life for them has definitely become better in terms of more income coming in the family as a result of implementation of certain measures. Organically grown vegetables not only fetch them higher prices but have also resulted in lowering the incidence of disease. The feeling of community building is high among the members, with Sanchay and Dhan Gola being formed in order to provide loan for plantation, weddings, education and other purposes. This has rescued the vulnerable villagers from the clutches of money lenders who charged unrealistic rates of interest on the money lent. The village has seen quiet a few changes, with kutcha house being plastered and an increase in the number of kids going to school. This is a result of the community work and sustainable livelihood measures taken. The whole village, and not only the Mahila Samiti Members, now serves as a role model to its neighboring villages.
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5STEPPONDPURULIA
Watery woes: Radhika Murmu lives in Salia village in Purulia district. Her husband, being a carpenter, used to go as far as the villages of Kashipur and Adra in search of work, both of which are about 2 hours away from their village. There was no permanent and reliable source of income for Radhikas family. She depends on farming for her livelihood, which, in turn, requires water for sustenance. Since water is scarce in this village, so the only crop that used to grow here was dhaan and she, along with the other farmers in her village, was dependent on the rainy son for irrigation. The cattle had to be grazed over large tances in search of water and grass. Though there are a number of ponds in the village, however, they are not favourable for fishing due to two main reasons: - The water in these ponds decreases by March; and - Since the land is quite stony, it does not provide feed (leaves, shrubs) for the fishes.
She depends on farming for her livelihood, which, in turn, requires water for sustenance. Since water is scarce in this village, so the only crop that used to grow here was dhaan and she, along with the other farmers in her village, was dependent on the rainy season for irrigation. The cattle had to be grazed over large distances in search of water and grass.
A fruitful suggestion: To bring relief to the distraught people, the Service Centre advised them to form a Dal. As many as 26 people came forward to form the Sudya Sidukanu Muluchandu Chasi Dal in 2002, which now consists of 24 members. The Dal took up the work of renovating the existing village ponds. Currently, there are four ponds in the village, irrigating an aggregate area of about 50 bighas. One of these four ponds was selected in 2005 and was renovated to build a 5-step pond, which helped to attain maximum capacity utilization of the water body. This pond covers an area of 8 bighas. A total of 50 to 60 types of plants grow around the pond and they are planted twice a year, a feat which was unimaginable until a few years ago. Radhika says that now she is able to sell vegetables in the nearby markets after providing for her personal consumption.
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Benefits of the 5-step pond: The 5-step pond is beneficial in many ways. As the water of the pond dries up in the drier months, the higher steps can be used for vegetable plantation. Also, watering these plants becomes easier as the water can be easily drawn from the pond itself, which is just a step below the field. This plantation has also made the pond bed favourable for developing fisheries, since it provides fodder for the fishes. The step pond is owned by 8 people who can breed fish in the pond. The remaining 16 people can use the water from the pond for irrigation. They do plant vegetables around the pond; however, they do not have a share in the fish-breeding. Apart from the income from the fishery, all the profit is equally shared by the Dal members.
No looking back: Radhika is really grateful for the efforts that the Service Centre has made in helping her and the other villagers. She speaks about the difference that water has brought in their lives. The women of this village stitch disposable plates (pattal) out of Sal tree leaves and sell them in the nearby market. Radhika has bought a new sewing chine by borrowing money from the community bank, chay. This has speeded up the process of stitching plates which earlier used to be done by hand. This has resulted in an addition to the family income. A bit of microfinance: Sanchay, a community bank initiated with the help of DRCSC, has been created wherein each of the members contribute Rs. 10 per month. The money is lent at an interest of 2% per month. Loans are given for various purposes, among them buying seeds, payment of wages to workers and tuition fees of children being the usual reasons. This has helped the villagers break free from the clutches of the tyrannical Mahajans (moneylenders) exorbitantly high rates of interest. A cashier appointed from among the Dal maintains all the records of Sanchays activities. The community feeling has only grown over the years, with the setting up of beej bhandar and grain gola, apart from Sanchay. Radhika says she is no longer dependent merely on the rains for her livelihood. As Dal netri, she has the responsibility of holding the Dal together, sorting out minor differences if any, and working for the overall benefit of the Dal. She wakes up each morning, full of optimism about her future and a zest to work for the benefit of other poverty- stricken laborers around her.
Radhika is really grateful for the efforts that the Service Centre has made in helping her and the other villagers. She speaks about the difference that water has brought in their lives.
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RIVERLIFTIRRIGATION
Nitya Goswami lives in the village of Bhalukgajar in Purulia district. The fields here are full of pebbles, making the lives of farmers very tough here. Making the situation worse is the fact that they are faced with a perennial water scarcity problem. Nitya was among the numerous farmers who grow a single crop a year, dhaan, which is West Bengals staple crop and they do it with the help of rainfed irrigation.
The fields are located near the river Dwarkeshwar and Service Centre (DRCSC) had some plans in mind. Convinced with DRCSCs scheme, the farmers formed a Dal and named it Dwarkeshwar Bhalukgajar Chasi dal . Nitya was appointed the cashier of the Dal and he took the responsibility upon himself enthusiastically. The Dal started the project by digging a well close to the river. It turned out to be quite a difficult task. The project budget, estimated to be Rs. 2.6 lakh initially, exceeded that amount by far and the actual cost turned out to be Rs. 3.38 lakh when the digging was completed. The inaccuracy in estimating the cost arose primarily because of the stones which covered the land, and made accurate planning a difficult task for the project leaders. Now, the well has been dug and the water stored in the well is supplied to the land under cultivation with the help of pumps. Nitya and the other farmers are following the mixed farming system as suggested by the Service Centre, and now they grow two crops simultaneously, and not just dhaan(paddy) as they used to earlier. This is followed to ensure that in case one crop fails, they still have the second crop to rely on. The members of the Dal pay for the maintenance of the motor pumps and the well. In case a farmer who is not a Dal member requires water, (s)he, too can use the water from the well by paying a nominal amount. This money goes to the Dal and is kept aside for use in the future. This work was started in 2007, and at present it irrigates 70 -80 bighas of land. The dal members believe that in the future it would irrigate about 400 bighas of land.
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Life for Nitya has changed considerably. Apart from experiencing an improvement in his standard of living, he feels a sense of pride in being the cashier of the Dal. He strongly believes in helping the poor and landless laborers by providing them water for irrigating their lands. He can empathize with them since it was not more than a year ago that his land was also water- starved, while now it is lush with greenery, just like the thousands of other farmers that DRCSC has helped become self-sufficient.
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KAALUTHECARETAKER
Kaalu, a villager who lives in a small village named Kashiara, under the jurisdiction of the Gram Panchayat of Kankalitala in Birbhum district. Many times, the most times he and his family used to worry about was whether they would have enough to eat for the next day. This went on for a long time till one fine day in 1998, his attention was attracted by a person shouting through a mi crophone about a new livelihood scheme that was being implemented by an NGO, DRCSC, which came to be popularly known as service centre. Kaalu decided to listen to them and, as it turned out later, this decision changed his life forever. There was a 50-year old canal running through the fields which used to provide irrigation to the paddy fields earlier but was not running at the capacity it was capable of. The DRCSC people chose this canal and proposed a scheme to develop a social forest on the fallow land on both sides of the canal. This land belonged to the gram panchayat and it took some convincing on the part of the DRCSC before the panchayat agreed to pro vide the particular stretch of land for this project on lease for a period of 25 years. Initially, 100 families came forward to carry out the implementation of the canal forestry project and the forestry project was launched. Arhar daal (legumes) plants were sown on both sides for the purpose of personal consumption as well as for providing fuel wood for cooking, since the arhar stem displays good combustion properties. Kaalu is one of the countless landless labourers who have found employment and a source of livelihood under the DRCSCs social forestry scheme. Since then, only 15 families remain as beneficiaries of the forestry scheme. Land search and negotiation: The dal planted trees and saplings along the canal over a 30-km long stretch, known as the Common Property Resource, the work on which was started in 1998. This stretch of land was identified after a survey done by the DRCSC and the land around the canal was identified.
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This land was owned by the Gram Panchayat which agreed to lease this land to the dal for a period of 25 years, under the condition that the profits were to be shared by the Dal and the Panchayat in the ratio of 1:3, i.e. 75% of the profits from the entire project would be given to the Panchayat, the dal distributing the rest of the money amongst themselves. Setback and self-belief: However, the initial enthusiasm and happy feelings all around, however, were not meant to last long. No sooner had the saplings begun to yield returns than disaster struck. The saplings were either stolen or eaten by cattle from nearby villages. All efforts went in vain. It was a huge loss to them. Many families decided to pull out of the dal started by DRCSC, not entirely convinced by its profitability.
However, 15 families stood firm by their decision. They did not lose heart and decided to stick on with the project. The Dal planted saplings once again and formed groups and guarded the plants on a rotational basis. Their wise decision and loyalty is paying off now.
However, 15 families stood firm by their decision. They did not lose heart and decided to stick on with the project. The Dal planted saplings once again and formed groups and guarded the plants on a rotational basis. Their wise decision and loyalty is paying off now. The Dal members believe that the work done by government does not yield results as there is no constant monitoring, however the work done by DRCSC or any other self help group is effective. Apart from this source of income, the Dal members breed hens and goats for their livelihood. This region is famous for its katha stitch work and the women do Katha to add to the family income. About NREGS: There is a low level of awareness about NREGS among the people in the village and they call it ek sau din kaaj. The Panchayat spread most of the information about the NREGS. The people here think that it is the responsibility of the government to make the job cards ready for them.
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Chapter5 FINDINGSANDANALYSIS
In this chapter we have tried to portray a real picture of NREGS as it exists on ground across the villages in the 3 districts (Birbhum, Purulia and North 24 Parganas) of West Bengal. Recognition of a number of requirements:
NeedforrightCommunicationpathway
One problem which was rampant across all the villages was the lack of adequate communication which led to lack of awareness among various stakeholders. There was a lack of communication from the District level to the Panchayat level and from the Panchayat to the villagers. Panchayat workers, who are the implementer of this scheme, were not aware of the scheme in its true spirit. They might be thorough with the wording of the Act per say but the interpretation, which was in most cases erroneous, was Even those who had worked different in different villages. Hence there were very under the NREGS in the past few Panchayats which understood the fact that the obwere unaware of the procejective was not merely to create man-hours or tempodures. The news that there is rary employment generation, but to create certain essome NREGS activity in the vilsential and most importantly sustainable assets which lage normally spreads through in turn will be giving them livelihood security in the word of mouth and the villagfuture. ers reach the site of activity directly. The villagers were far behind them in their knowledge of NREGS. There is no denying the fact that every single person had heard of Eksho Diner Kaaj (100 days work) as they call it locally. However when it comes to the procedures to ask for that 100 days work and their rights under the scheme, they seemed to be utterly ignorant in some cases. The level of knowledge was so poor that in a few villages of Purulia, villagers didnt even know that they should apply for the work by filling up an application form. Even those who had worked under the NREGS in the past were unaware of the procedures. The news that there is some NREGS activity in the village normally spreads through word of mouth and the villagers reach the site of activity directly. According to the Panchayat workers the publicity is mostly done through pamphlets, wallwritings and miking. Another major channel of communication is the Gram Sansad meetings in the months of May and November when the planning of the projects is done. However in general the attendance in both of these meetings is very low, in-fact negligible. If the quorum for the meeting is not met the meeting is scheduled for a suitable date, a few weeks later. But even in the
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second meting the turnout is generally low. With no other option left the members present take the decision on behalf of the entire Sansad. Actually the fact remains that there is no major motivation to attend these meetings. The farmers work daily hand to mouth to earn a living. To suspend the work even for half a day and attend meetings does not seem to be fruitful to them. They consider their presence of meager or no importance however the truth is that without the presence of each and every voter such Sansad meetings are incomplete. Also another reason for low attendance is the timings of these meetings. The first one is scheduled in the month of May, which is peak summer, when the temperatures are soaring. The next one is in November, when its harvest season and the farmers are generally busy. With most of the job card holders, unemployment allowance is something unheard of. Even if some have heard about it from some sources, they find it very hard to believe in. Most scorned even at the mention of such a concept. They said that they were content even if they received their daily wages under NREGS in time. With most of the job card holders, unemployment allowance is something unheard of. Even if some have heard about it from some sources, they find it very hard to believe in. Most scorned even at the mention of such a concept. The Panchayats on the other hand manipulate things so that the claim for an unemployment allowance does not arise at all. Most cases they dont communicate this provision to the job card holders. Also since the job card holders are largely illiterate and unaware of the paper work involved, they are made to fill applications without the date mentioned, removing any scope for tracking the 15days deadline for allotting work.
An interesting point to note here that while the daily wages comes from the central government, the unemployment allowance falls in the State governments kitty. Naturally the State government is reluctant to release fund to pay job card holders who have not been allotted work, which is due to inefficiency on the part of the Panchayats or the District level authorities. The Panchayats hence, keep this chapter closed lest it may arouse more clashes between the governments. The problem becomes severe in some places of North 24 Parganas, where one has to travel around 20 kms and has to cross 2 rivers to get the unemployment allowance to collect his unemployment allowance from the BDO office. Then they prefer not to have it. The reason to include unemployment allowance in the act is to ensure the employment and that is why it is called guarantee, however in the real scenario the picture is entirely different. Just applying the concept in the act is not solving the problem.
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Theres another problem associated with incomplete knowledge about a provision like unemployment allowance. Some job card holders are tended to misuse this provision, when they are not working on any NREGS project, which actually might be due to their unwillingness to do manual work.
RightHumanResourcesrequired
One core reason of NREGS failure in many villages of these districts is the scarcity of Human Resources at the Panchayats. . At many Panchayats, it was observed that Nirman Sahayak had to be shared between more than one Panchayat. At one Panchayat, Executive Officer told that they need at least 6 people for proper planning and measurement purpose; however there are only 3 people, out of which the Nirman Sahayak works 3 days at that Panchayat and rest 2 days at another Panchayat. The exam for the recruitment of Nirman Sahayak was held last year (2007), but results were not out yet. So in real sense there were only 2.5 people at that Panchayat to look after NREGS activities. 3 persons even working all the days at breakneck speed would fail to even come near the targets. At most places, the main reason for the huge delays in implementation of the scheme (including planning, measurement, delivering wages etc.) is the lack of trained personnel at the Panchayat level. Many activities like training of the villagers, taking care of the assets developed under NREGS and measurement of the work done are either delayed or in some cases abandoned completely and all these stem out of this reason in one or other way.
RedirectionofFundFlow
With most of the Panchayats, the problem is not in the lack for The process of getting a funds but in the proper distribution of it. During a financial year, project approved involves for the first phase budget should be passed in the month of April a number of steps and red to start the work, but Panchayats get the money in the month of tape at multiple levels October or November. The reason as stated by the Panchayats which require a lot of time, karmis was excess paper work involved in NREGS and scarcity of Human Resources. The process of getting a project approved skills and human resources. involves a number of steps and red tape at multiple levels which As a result, quite a few require a lot of time, skills and human resources. As a result, Panchayats receive money quite a few Panchayats receive money only around November only around Novemand at the end of the financial year, the Panchayats are not left ber. with much time to achieve the goals which were set and are left with the funds not spent, and lots of work unfinished. However, the unspent money is considered as a failure on the part of the Panchayat to implement NREGS though the real fault lies with the delayed release of money. The money at block level is distributed among different Panchayats under that block. So if one Panchayat is more efficient and finishes its work before other Panchayats, it still has to wait till
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other Panchayats exhaust the funds allotted to them before getting the second round of funds to be cleared. The reason as stated by a Panchayat Karmi is that a Block cant apply for next phase fund, unless all the Panchayats under it have exhausted their funds. This system of fund distribution which has the slowest worker as a parameter does not encourage the Panchayats to be competitive.
PoliticalNuances
OppositionPolitics
At many Panchayats, it was observed that NREGS has continuously been used for scoring political points. It was stated by many Panchayat Karmis that opposition instigates villagers to go for making a job-card even if they dont need one, so that it increases the pressure on the village Panchayat. Since these people are not in need of this scheme and there fore do not apply for work, this gives the opposition a way to show the inefficiency of the Panchayat using these numbers. There are also some rare cases where the opposition party at the state or district level heads the Panchayat and so doesnt receive proper fund. While these political obstacles can not be generalized to all villages, they do show the politicization of NREGS.
Corruptionatmanylevels
To make matters worse, a few villagers in the district of Birbhum admitted that they manipulate the number of days they worked for financial gains. They used to mention more number of days than they have worked for. They vehemently defend their work by saying Agar sab khate hain to hum kyoon na khaaye .
It is mandatory for each Panchayat to increase forest area and invest NREGS money in social forestry project, however it was observed that only two species acacia and eucalyptus, which are neither Indian nor meant for Indian soil are grown wherever NREGS work is done. The land where these plants are grown becomes totally infertile and uncultivable with in a few years. What is alarming is that the villagers well know the hazards of planting these trees but continue planting them in spite of Panchayats request not to do so only because of the financial returns. Another reason to plant only these two types of trees is that the forest department prefers to supply only these two types of trees due to the quick returns it gives and the rewards can be reaped with in the officials tenure in that area.
To make matters worse, a few villagers in the district of Birbhum admitted that they manipulate the number of days they worked for financial gains. They used to mention more number of days
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than they have worked for. They vehemently defend their work by saying Agar sab khate hain to hum kyoon na khaaye In another village in Birbhum, Villagers started a movement against the corruption of Panchayat where villagers were paid 50/- instead of 60/-. Also the number of days used to be manipulated while entering into the records. The movement started by 75 people against this corruption finally resulted in their voice being heard and they were given the wages which were due to them. Bureaucracy rules - NGOs uncalled for In many villages, most NGOs are not viewed favorably by the Panchayat in spite of the work they do as they consider it as a threat to their existence and consider it a parallel authoritative body. In this state run by the communist government, they are also considered popularizing propaganda of anti-communism.
ImproperPlanning
Lowattendance
This factor is also an effect of lack of resources. In Gram Unnayan Samiti meetings, there is representation of different stakeholders. However all the representatives do not come to attend these meetings for a simple reason that they dont find any incentive to come to the meeting. In most of the cases these people survive on daily wages and for them going out to earn their livelihood are more important than attending Gram Unnayan Samiti meetings. Each person is paid only 250/- per year for being the member of Gram Unnayan Samiti which is not much of an incentive for these people to turn up in these meetings and concentrating on the planning of the projects needed for their respective communities. Another place where projects are decided and proposals are discussed, are the Gram Sansad meetings which generally happen in the months of May and November. Once again, the attendance very low and the decisions which are to be taken unanimously are taken by a handful of people.
Unscientificmethodsofplanning
There is a real need of resource mapping and knowledge mapping to decide which part of the village needs what resources and to make sure the projects benefits reach the neediest people. The important part of sustenance of these projects as an asset for the community is not planned.
Needofseasonalwork
Almost at all places, villagers mentioned that they want work only in selective months. As per Hindi Calendar they need work in the months of Bhadro/Asin (15th Aug-15th Oct) and Magh/Falgun (15th Jan-15th March). Rest of the time they have some other work, however in
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these months they are free and dont have anything else to do. This aspect is not factored in while drawing up plans for the projects.
ImproperExecution
SocialAudit
Social audit is a very important aspect of NREGS, however the ground reality gives a different picture altogether. There is no proper execution of social audit in most places. This leads to a situation where the villagers and the Panchayat Karmis know all the problems involved but they cannot do anything about it. Wherever social auditing takes place, it is done in a very haphazard manner.
Irregularattendanceofworkers
The difference however is that while DRCSC understands the importance of motivation and trains their workers to handle that also, NREGA does not have a mechanism to deal with it.
One problem that stems from the attitude of the villagers is that there is no sense of responsibility towards government projects. Many times it happens that villagers register themselves for the work but dont turn up on the site regularly. There are not enough people as well who can monitor the projects on a daily basis. Finally it leads to deviation from the planning and creates problem in execution.
On the other hand, members in a Dal formed by DRCSC feel more attached with the assets developed under DRCSC projects rather that NREGS. The reason they have stated that when they work for a government project, objective is to get the wages of that particular day and leave the site, while in a DRCSC project they are involved from the very conception of the project. Apart from that, the profit generated though the projects is Many times it happens that shared with them developing a sense of belonging in them. villagers register themselves They feel it be comes their responsibility to take care of for the work but dont turn up the asset and it leads to a sustainable employment generaon the site regularly. There tion source. are not enough people as Lackofknowledge well who can monitor the projects on a daily basis. There is a lack of awareness in the villagers about the concept of Sustainable Asset. The focus instead is on the short term gains. As mentioned earlier in this report in the case of acacia and eucalyptus plantations, despite of the Panchayats efforts, as their objective is to get financial returns as soon as possible even though it might mean grave problems in the long term. Even in many projects of DRCSC, it does happen that a few members leave the Dal from
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time to time as they are not able to see long term benefits out of these projects. The difference however is that while DRCSC understands the importance of motivation and trains their workers to handle that also, NREGA does not have a mechanism to deal with it. Panchayat, while aware of this, are helpless because neither there is cooperation from the villagers nor they have enough resources to maintain these assets. In fact Panchayat tried to plant different type of plants in the starting in the Social Forestry projects, but they couldnt survive since they were not taken care of by the villagers. The villagers finally opted for Acacia and Eucalyptus plants for a reason that they dont need any maintenance or care.
ComplexityoftheAct
As mentioned by most of the Panchayat Karmis, the act is too complex to understand. Also it gets changed from time to time. That makes it more difficult to understand and apply.
YourRightsUndertheEmploymentGuaranteeAct WORKAPPLICATIONS WiththisJobCard,youareentitledtoapplyforworkatanytime.Youcansubmityourapplication totheGramPanchayat,ortotheBlockoffice. RealPicture:Almostatallvillages,noonewasawarethattheycanapplyatanytime.Theycome toknowabouttheprojectsthroughwordofmouthandthentheygivetheirapplicationforwork. Infactatsomeplacestheyevendontapplyforworkanddirectlyreachtothesiteoftheproject. Whenyouapplyforwork,makesurethatyougetadatedandsignedreceipt. RealPicture:AtsomevillagesPanchayataccepttheapplicationwithoutdate. Ifyoudonotgetemploymentwithin15days,youareentitledtotheunemploymentallowance. Real Picture: In most of the cases villagers are not aware of unemployment allowance; even if they are aware they cant even think of getting it. They said Kaam ke paise mil jayevohihamareliyebadibaathain. WORKERSENTITLEMENTS Wagesshouldbepaidwithinaweek,orfifteendaysatmost. RealPicture:Forpayingthewagesfirstmeasurementneedstobedoneandforthatthere isaneedofskilledhumanresourcesatPanchayatlevelwhicharenotavailable.Italways leadstolatepaymentofwages. UNEMPLOYMENTALLOWANCE You can apply for the unemployment allowance to the Gram Panchayat or Block Office (youwillneedthereceiptshowingwhenyouappliedforwork). RealPicture:Applyingforunemploymentallowanceisnotaeasytask,inafewvillagesof North 24 Parganas, one has to travel many kms. And has to cross 2 rivers to reach to BlockOfficeforapplyingforunemploymentallowance.
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ComparativeAnalysis
The main objective of NREGS is to generate sustainable community assets and while doing that generate man-days and thus income for the villagers. However, NREGS is only partially successful in its endeavor. To get a better understanding of how the projects taken under NREGS fare against the models which are being implemented by the NGO, DRCSC, a comparative analysis of the models is done in this chapter. The different projects considered which are done under NREGS are pond digging, social forestry etc. DRCSC, on the other hand has brought in new, scientifically superior models into the villages either by adding small variations to the existing models or by bringing completely new models. The comparative study between NREGS and DRCSCs models is done based on four parameters. Technical parameters Economical parameters Environmental parameters Social parameters
TechnicalParameters The models implemented under NREGA are not done keeping the technical aspects in mind. For example, pond digging is one of the most popular projects under NREGS. Howev er, many of the ponds do not function beyond the first year or two. This is due to the bad technicalities involved in it. Tweaking the model a little, DRCSC has been implementing the step pond model. A small variation to a normal pond making the surface in forms of steps has increased the options for income generation as well as the sustainability of the pond also. In many cases, these step ponds are integrated with the other models and have proven to be more productive than the normal ponds. 39 EconomicalParameters The models which are implemented by NREGS focus mainly on the generation of man-days. The projects like digging of ponds or laying of roads, while provide certain benefits to the community if planned well, with exceptions are not economically sustainable. They do not generate any revenue and need to be renovated in a few years time which would again need financial and human resources to be spent on it. On the other hand, the models DRCSC has proposed and has been implementing successfully run on the guiding principle that these projects would be economically sustainable within a few years of beginning. Food Forest is a prime example of an economically viable model. This model
has become sustainable with in two years and generates income for the stakeholders.
EnvironmentalParameters One of the minimum criteria for a project to be taken under NREGS should be that there should not be any negative repercussions of the projects. One of the worst casualties in these projects always tends to be the environment. A case in ex
SocialParameters
ample here would be the social forestry plan implemented in Purulia district. In a clear case of en vironmental balance being disrupted, Eucalyptus plants were planted on a huge stretch of land be longing to the forest department. While the revenue from these plantations would be with in the next 5 years, the Eucalyptus trees deplete the land on which they grow of all the minerals making them virtually unusable for cultivation of any sort.
The social parameters to be considered would be the benefit the community as a whole is getting from the projects. While the objective of NREGS is to create such assets, the models used currently so not serve the lofty objectives. The models which are implemented by DRCSC and a few other NGOs have been designed in such a way that the output is maximized with out compromising on the ideals of the NREGA. DRCSCs Nursery Model (Refer to the section Study of DRCSC models) in the village of Bolpur in Birbhum district has proved to be a blessing for the Dal members of the villagers who were facing the scarcity of wood to be used as fuel. Earlier, the kids of the Dal members used to spend the majority of the day collecting wood to be used as fuel and as a reason never attended school. What the success of the Nursery Model has done is that it has ensured that an increased number of these kids go to the school. A similar case of social development can be observed in the Salya village of Purulia district where DRCSCs 5steps pond model has led to a lesser dependency on monsoon for irrigation, increased number of crops, empowerment of women and an overall development of the villagers. (Refer to the section Case Studies: 5Step Pond Purulia)
DRCSC models, on the other hand, take the envi ronmental sustainability as a key factor while de signing the projects. The projects like DRCSCs food forestry thrive on planting a variety of plants are planted. It has been scientifically proved that planting of a mixture of trees is much better for the soil as the minerals would be used optimally.
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Chapter6 RECOMMENDATIONS:APATHAHEAD
The hindrance in the successful implementation of NREGS is more at the execution level rather than the planning level. The problem is not with the unavailability of fund, the problem is with the planning and usage of those funds. All problems at the execution level are linked with each other in one way or other, and hence there is a need of a holistic solution. In this chapter we have proposed a new model to handle the problems at execution level. Through this model we have tried to address issues like half-hearted involvement of villagers in NREGS projects, lack of resources at Panchayat level, improper planning and less focus on livelihood-generation.
CommunityModel
(Definecriteriaforthe same)
Generatesustaina bleasset
ProperPlanning
(Resourcemappingand knowledgemapping)
DalFormation
(Identifythemostneeded people)
Involvementofother implementingagen cies

(FundfromGPandpeople
CommunityModel

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ProperPlanning
Before planning, it is very necessary to track which resources in which part of the village can be developed under NREGS? Which project will lead to a sustainable asset? Which is the neediest community in the village? For answering all these questions it is necessary to know the existing resources in the village. At the same time the availability of semi-skilled resources needs to be mapped. Meeting of Gram Sansad is an important platform for deciding and planning the projects however the low attendance of villagers leads to decisions in the hands of a few influential ones. Low attendance at Gram Unayan Samiti meetings is another issue due to which there is low awareness about the programme. Also, the villagers dont have a say in the projects being approved. The reasons for this could be that there is no incentive for the villagers to attend the meetings and also that these villagers might use that time to earn their livelihood.
CashprizeforGramPanchayatsimplementingNREGSeffectively
The Panchayats which best implement the NREGS Scheme will be given top priority in other government projects, next year. This would give the Panchayats a motivation to implement the Scheme more efficiently. Through this solution the issue of fund allocation can be handled as well - Panchayats which perform better should be given higher budget the next year as well as the funds for all the phases for the Panchayats. Back it up with an increased level of communication among the Panchayats about the good work performed by other Panchayats.
DistrictadministrationofMandala(MadhyaPradesh)hasannouncedacashprizeofRs.25,000 forbestperformingGramPanchayat.IthascreatedanewzealamongthePanchayatrepresenta tivesandeverybodynowwantsNREGAworksinhis/herPanchayattobethebestsothatthey cangetthecashaward.Ithasboostedcollectiveefforts.Villagershavestartedtakingthisasa matterofdignityofthevillage.Theyknowthatitwillbenefitthemaswellandhavestartedpay ingattentiontowardstheirworks. ResourceMapping
Prepare the detailed map for each village including water resources; irrigation channel, land distribution and different communities details (Refer to Exhibit 1). As per the resources available in different parts of the village, the future planning can be done. The communities which are the most deprived of resources can be provided with early resources under NREGS. Same time it can help in designing community assets.
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It can help the authorities to do customized planning for a village e.g. if a village is deprived of forest area and there is barren land used for nothing, it can be planned to be developed as a forest. Similar details can be developed by compiling details about seasonal details e.g. in which season crop is there, in which season people dont have any work to do etc (Refer to Exhibit 2). A detailed history of the village can be documented. It can help us to find any pattern which can help us to design detailed project e.g. if some village have faced a draught/flood in last years and a regular pattern can be found which can be used for future planning (Refer to Exhibit 3).
ReschedulingofGramSabhaMeetingsTime
The meetings happen in May and November at a time when the villagers are busy with their farm work. The meeting can be shifted to March and October.
DalFormation
As we observed in many villages, people dont feel any involvement with NREGS projects and it is just a wage-generating source for them and that is also very irregular. Through its projects DRCSC has already proved how involving a community in the projects has lead to successful generation of sustainable assets. It required a great deal of dedication and patience from the side of DRCSC workers, however finally it led to the overall improvement in the living standards of the community. To make sure that a pond dug under NREGS doesnt remain a waste pond of garbage, it is necessary that it is being taken care by the community after it has been dug. For that there is a need of a few leaders and dedicated groups of villagers.
ToIdentifytheNeediest
To form a Dal, the most importantthing is to identify the right people who can be the part of these Dals. The following criteria can be taken into account: Amount of land a household possesses Number of earning members in a household Wealth possessed by a household Privilege for backward classes (SC/ST & OBCs)
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DistributionofOwnership
If each dal will be assigned an asset and responsibility for maintaining that particular asset will be given to dal members, there are more chances that a project will be developed as a sustainable employment generation source. The villagers do not take the work seriously and attend the work only intermittently causing long delays in the projects. A more centralized system of team building would develop a sense of responsibility and it is also easier to communicate with the villagers through local team leaders. Appointment of Team leaders for goading workers to come for work will help in a big way, since many villagers do not come for work after the initial enthusiasm is over. But then arise the question of distributing an asset to a particular dal. How it will be decided? This question can be answered with the help of same criteria as mentioned earlier that Which is the neediest dal? Also the other route can be taken which could be more A more centralized system complicated, however can be tested and then implemented. of team building would After completing different projects, each asset developed develop a sense of responcan be given to a particular dal for taking care e.g. if 3 sibility and it is also easier ponds are dug and 2 social forest areas are developed it can to communicate with the be distributed to different dals based on their needs. But villagers through local then arise the question that how it will be called a commuteam leadnity asset? To answer this question, the best argument that ers. even in currently developed projects, the right of doing the fishing in a pond is given only to the pond owner and only the water is shared among the villagers. A minimum criteria can be set for that e.g. if the water level in the pond will be more than 5 fts. It will be shared with other villagers. The minimum criterion is needed so that a minimum quantity of water can be maintained in the ponds for fishing, gardening etc. After completing different projects, each asset develGenerateSustainableAssets oped can be given to a As repeated by many critics of NREGS, the scheme is not particular dal for taking solving its real purpose i.e. to contribute to poverty reduction care e.g. if 3 ponds are dug at the village level through sustained livelihood generation and 2 social forest areas resources. The objective has reduced to fill muster rolls with are developed it can be more and more number of days of employment. There is a distributed to different need of a proper tracking system to make sure that whatever dals based on their needs. is done NREGS leads to a sustained employment generation. There is a need of a few measures through which this can be
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made sure. A few suggestions from our side are as follows: A clear definition of a few terms: Sustainable, Community Asset. A sound communication should follow that to make the stakeholders aware about the same. Not a single villager was aware about the concept of Sustainability when we carried out our research. A review of: How much revenue has been generated from the assets At the same time Panchayats created? need to understand that How many people are getting benefitted from the asNGOs are complimentary and sets? not competing with them. A How much money they are able to make out of a partichealthy relationship between ular asset? the two stakeholders can lead How it has lead to overall development of the commuto development where funds nity? can come from Panchayat and What is the current situation of the asset vis a vis the People from the NGOs. number of years since it was created? This review can be done after completing a few years.
InvolvementofOtherAgencies
All these solutions are very easy to recommend, but then comes the issue of who will implement that and who will take care of this. As mentioned earlier there is a stark scarcity of Human Resources at the Panchayat level, especially skilled and semi-skilled resources. Here come the NGOs and other implementing agencies in picture that can provide human resources for Panchayat and work in parallel. Here the question of accountability and transparency arises? To handle that issue NGOs can be asked to submit a monthly report of activities and accounts to the Panchayat. To solve the issue of unavailability of Human Resources; alternative solutions can be: Old/retired teachers can be employed to do the paperwork Employees to be recruited on a contractual basis by the Panchayat itself Recruit students for paperwork Encourage educated women to take up employment with the Panchayat NREGA resources could be used to catalyze the engagements of rural youths (almost 35% of rural population and majority of them are literate) in providing support to rural processes, including training of Youth to act as Facilitators, Barefoot Engineers for im45
plementation of NREGA. Civil Society could play important role in awareness generation about NREGA provisions. It can effectively monitor implementation of the Act at local levels. The act encourages multi disciplinary approaches by engaging multi stakeholders. Civil Society can build models of implementations in this regard. At the same time Panchayats need to understand that NGOs are complimentary and not competing with them. A healthy relationship between the two stakeholders can lead to development where funds can come from Panchayat and People from the NGOs.
AFewMoreRecommendations
Training on new techniques of farming- kitchen garden concept to be applied across other regions Fight the corruption: Through combining NREGS with RTI, government has given power in the hands of the villagers. The case of village Bajidpur in Birbhum district has set an example for others. If this Community model will be followed along with the models proposed by DRCSC, there are very high chances of success of NREGS. But this cannot happen overnight. It is essentially a long process. The important thing is to create a socio-political momentum whereby the scheme will actually work as intended across the country.
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EXHIBIT
Exhibit1.0
Pic1:VillageMap(PreparedbyDRCSC) 47
Pic2:ResourceMap(PreparedbyDRCSC)
48
Pic3:SocialMap(PreparedbyDRCSC)

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Exhibit2.0
Pic4:FutureSpeculationsThroughHistoricalData 50
Exhibit3.0
Pic5:SeasonalMapping

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Exhibit4.0
Fig1:FoodForest
Fig2:StepPond
Fig3:SemiCircularDam
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ANNEXURE
Annexure1.1:ExcerptsofInterviewsatBirbhumDistrict
People met Mr. Rajeev Mandal, Village Development Volunteer (VDV) also known as Gram Karmi, Representative of DRCSC Mr. Krishna Chandra Saha, VDV Balu Tudu, Dal Neta (Group leader) of Marangbaru Dal Rupali Ghosh, Unit Leader, Representative of DRCSC The important points which came out of the discussion are as follows: The Dal (Group) has undertaken Samajik Bana Srijan (Social Forestry) and has planted trees along the roadside. They call it a Common Property resource (CPR). The difference between the group here called the Mutual Corporation Group (MCG) and those Self Help Groups (SHGs) formed by the Panchayat is that the former is absolutely need-based. The actual needy households are identified depending on their social and economic condition and are then brought together in a Dal. The Dal Neta conducts all meeting of the Dal and passes on all information which he gets from DRCSC. Sometimes he needs to conduct a meeting at 5 or 6 am before the Group members leave for their work. Other CPR activities include Nursery Dhaan Gola (Grain Gola) Maachh Chash (Fisheries) Sanchay (Bank account)
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TheGroupFormationPedagogy Asurveyisconductedinthevillage Dependingontheassets,economicalconditionofthefamilytheactuallyneedyhouseholds areidentified. A Sachetanata Shivir (awareness camp) is conducted. Around 100200 people attend the same.Informativediscussionstakeplace. NowsomeseedsaredistributedtoeachofthemfromDRCSCwithinstructionsastohowto goahead Nowtheyaremonitoredfor23monthsastohowwelltheyunderstandandfollowthein structions.Peoplewhohaveactuallyfollowedtheinstructionsareidentified.Herethenum bersreducestosay4050. NowaDharanaShivir(2daystrainingcamp)isconducted.Somehandsonexperienceisgiv enontrialbasis Nowtheyareaskedastowhoallareinterestedtoformagroup.Thenumberboilsdownto 1520peoplewhofinallyconstitutethegroup.
Hierarchical structure of the activities
BolpurTrainingCentreOffice
ZonalResearchTrainingCentre(ZRTC) atTadbhadiSanghathanOffice
ARTC
Konkanitala
ARTC
Maheshpur
ARTC
Dubrajpur
ARTC
Rajnagar
There are 2 groups in that village: Marangbaru Dal & Jaima Saraswati Dal. The Marangbaru Dal consists of 15 households.
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The Dal works in collaboration with the Gram Panchayat. Generally there is an agreement on paper between the GP and the Dal. For the Road side CPR the land was given by GP and the funds from DRCSC. For the tree planting activity Re1 was paid for 2 x 2 x 2 cubic feet (cft) pit that was dug. The Panchayat here has been very cooperative so far. There has been a 20 years agreement with the GP only after which the trees will be cut. There will be a sharing of revenues between the Dal and GP in the 75/25 ratio respectively. The trees planted are of different variety suitable to the place and scientifically decided upon by the Group members using a tool called the Social Analysis System (SAS). Some of the trees are good sources for Jalani (Fuel). Fruit trees are generally not planted because they take too much time to grow up. The trees are planted in a specific manner. Big small big alternating fashion, so that each tree can have scope to grow. The trees which are planted there have different use eg Gamar tree is used for furniture, Annato Mool cures many diseases especially of women, Sheyon tree as a fuel in funeral. After the trees are planted they have to be guarded against attack from cattle in the initial stages and later on from illegal cutting. The group members guard the plantations all throughout on a rotational basis. There are instances when huge herds of cattle have to pass through the area to a nearby Haat (market place). The group members in guard at the time help them pass through the road without harming the plantation. They even charge a fee sometimes to let the cattle pass through. On both sides of the trees planted Arhar is planted which serves as a good source of fodder for their cattle. So with this plantation two of their very basic daily need is fulfilled Jalani (Fuel) Go-Khadya (Fodder) Now that these two things are taken care of the children of these households who used to be busy throughout the day searching for these and hence miss school are doing otherwise. There have been instances when the GP hasnt been cooperating the local NGOs due to political reasons. In such cases DRCSC has unilaterally gone ahead with their models and later on when they have been successful, GP has willingly extended their support to the same. The activities in the village under NREGS are a. Pond digging, b. Blocking cleanage c. Road repairing and d. Field leveling The Dal has taken up some other activities like planting trees along the ponds which were actually dug under the NREGS.
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People met: Members of Biprotikudi Gram Panchayat Mr. Moinuddin Ahmed, Ex Pradhan of GP The important points which came out of the discussion are as follows: The Act was launched all of a sudden, without creating any awareness. So the expected social impact couldnt be created. People were not able to understand the act properly. The village didnt have a proper road. Now a 17km pucca road has been built under NREGA connecting it to Bolpur. This has eased the travel to nearby towns. People can now travel to cities for their livelihood and return. Asset creation is an important aspect. E.g. If a pond is dug, it helps in two ways: Stores extra water which can be used later If the depth of the pond decreases, the extra water goes to flood. Thus digging of the pond helps to control floods. The payment procedure of NREGS has changed recently. Earlier it used to be cash. Now the workers need to have a bank account to which they will deposit the cheque that they receive. This provokes the concept of savings for them. The project identification is done according to amendments 73 & 74. The Gram Sansad have two meetings per year, one is held in May (yearly) and second one in November (half Yearly, more vital). All the voters of the GP (approx 700) are present in the meetings. They decide about the projects and then it is passed on to GP. GP compiles them based on whether they are capable enough to take it up. Priorities are set amongst the different proposed projects. Then it is forwarded to Panchayat Samiti and then to Jila Parishad for further approval. Projects up to Rs 2 lacs can be approved by the GP The GP has taken up 20 projects under NREGS; 10 projects in the first phase. They received 62 lakhs from NREGA in year 2006, and the work done includes 3 football grounds, ponds, social forest, drainage system, flood control & dam. There are SHG to supervise the work. The structure of the Gram Unnayan Samiti 2 members- one is from the ruling party, other from the opposition party 1 Government servant-retired or working A teacher 3 community based organization (e.g. NGO) representatives 3 SHG representatives(Out of these at least 2 should be female) The GUS monitors the projects.
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There is a concept of Social Audit which is done by a neutral body consisting of NGO representatives, SHG representatives and govt. servants. The communication to the villagers is done by the following media: Through GP meetings Mass Media NGOs Meeting held in villages Announcement by Dhol Workers are also not committed, say on first day 50 people come, second day its only 42 and third day its just 40 There is a difference in which villagers look at the Panchayat work and the NGO work. When the work is provided by Panchayat (NREGS) there is no feeling of association attached to it. However when they are working. They are also selective about work. People want to do seasonal work. They work in farms, however in off season when they dont have anything to do then only they want work. Planning becomes difficult in that case. Unemployment allowances: In 15 days if government is not able to provide the work, 50% of the total wages for the first 30 days and after that 75% of the total wages has to be paid as unemployment wages. GP tries to find jobs for 6days, after that if its unable to arrange the work Panchayat Samiti tries for the next 6 days. If Panchayat Samiti is not able to find the work Jila Samiti tries next. Even after that if the work is not arranged, unemployment allowance is paid. The GP there gives more importance to employment generation and then to asset generation. There are no eligibility criteria for the people who plan at the village level, specifically in terms of educational background. Females are given a little consideration for manual work. 80 cft digging by men is considered equivalent to 70 cft for women. The 60-40 ratio sometimes acts as a constraint for planning. Many infrastructural development projects cannot be taken up due to this.
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People Met: Mr. Kaalu, member of the Dal Ghulam Mustafa The important points which came out of the discussion are as follows: The Dal, consists of 15 members. The Dal has planted trees alongside a canal on a 30 km long stretch, known as Common Property Resource. This work was started in 1998. There is an agreement between the Panchayat and the Dal for a period of 25 years, the profits to be shared in the ratio of 25:75 for Dal and Panchayat. The Dal members believe that the work done by government does not yield results as there is no constant monitoring; however the work done by DRCSC or any other self help group is effective. There are various trees planted which not only provide food for the members but also fodder for he cattle but also fuel wood. Initially when the saplings were planted, the Dal was faced with problems of spoilage, theft and cattle crazing. The Dal formed groups and guarded the plants on a rotational basis. Apart from this the Dal members keep hen and goat for their livelihood. Women do Katha stitch work to add to the family income. People in the village know about NREGA as ek sau din kaaj. Panchayat inform them about NREGA. People think it is the governments responsibility to make job cards. Work done under NREGA in the village are pond cutting, planting trees along the roads. Awareness about the NREGA scheme is very low. Participation in government bodies is very low. The time when people most need work is in the months of September and October.
TheGroupFormationPedagogy TheinitiativewastakenbyDRCSC. Identificationoflandlesslabourersfollowedbyformationofgroup. Surveywasdoneandthelandaroundthecanalwasidentified. AgreementwiththePanchayat. Initially100peopleagreedtobeapartoftheDalwhichlaterreducedto40andtoday theDalhasonly15members. 58
People met: Mr .Mrityunjay Das, Village Development Volunteer (VDV) also known as Gram Karmi, Representative of DRCSC. Mr. Subhash Das, Dal Neta of Yuba Sangh Dus Para. Mr. Sunatan Das, a villager who had worked under NREGA scheme. The important points which came out of the discussion are as follows: The Yuba Sangh Dus Para has 25 members and has no female in the group. The Dal has planted trees alongside a canal on a 1.5 km long stretch, known as Common Property Resource. This work was started in July 2004. There has been an agreement for 25 years between the Panchayat and the Dal. The Panchayat would get 25% of the income generated from selling the trees. For the CPR the land was given by the Panchayat, sapling and soil was contributed by the people and funds were provided by DRCSC. For the tree planting activity Re1 was paid for 2 x 2 x 2 cubic feet (cft) pit that was dug. I6 different types of trees have been planted keeping in mind the quality of the soil. Most of the trees are good source of fuel. Aarahar has been planted on both sides of the trees which act as good source of fodder for the plant. After the trees are planted they have to be guarded against attack from cattle in the initial stages and later on from illegal cutting. The group members guard the plantations all throughout on a rotational basis. Almost everybody in the village knew about NREGA as ek sau din kaaj. 12 ponds, tree plantation around the road, roads inside the village and canal has been done under NREGA in that village so far. Very few projects under NREGA are successful, only about 5%, this is so because there is no unison between Gram Panchayat and the people. There is communication gap between the people and the Panchayat. People do not apply for the job; Panchayat does not encourage them because they do not know where to generate the job from. The Dal Neta conducts all meeting of the Dal and passes on all information which he gets from DRCSC. Apart from farming the villagers also rear sheep for which they get 50 paisa per sheep for the wool reared.
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TheGroupFormationPedagogy TheinitiativewastakenbyDRCSC. Identificationoflandlesslabourersfollowedbyformationofgroup. Thelandaroundthecanalwasidentified. AgreementwiththePanchayat. Local contribution from the people and some assistance from DRCSC helped the groupimplementthework. Thegroupconsistsof25membersatpresent.
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People met: Rupali Ghosh (Representative of DRCSC) Rajeev Mondal (Representative of DRCSC) The important points which came out of the discussion are as follows: We gathered information about the Jai Maa Dangali Dal (The first Dal started by DRCSC in the region). The Dal started in the year 2001 with 25 families and a fund of Rs 2287, out of which Rs 1800 was a loan from DRCSC and the rest was from donations. They started with seed bank in the year 2003. The activities of the Dal includes: Utilisation of resources Pashu Khadya Shramdivas Shristi (Man days generation) Fund generation Bhoomi Sanskar (Land preservation) In the initial stages, workshops were organized by DRCSC. In these workshops the meal charges were paid by DRCSC. The concept of multi crop wasnt popular earlier. Dhan Gola Objective is that when there is scarcity of grain, people can have grain from Dhan Gola rather than going to Mahajan. On 1 Q. Maximum interest can not exceed 20 Kgs Each member has to contribute to Dhan Goal and gap is filled by Service Centre. If the grain is in excess they lend it outside the dal, but interest in that case is charged higher than the normal charges. Under NREGA a pond has been dug: 12 bighas, 4Lakhs budget, it took 1 yr to renovate. The wages were Rs 70/- per day. The water of pond is used for irrigation, fishery and kitchen garden. However only owner of the pond can do the fishery and kitchen gardening. However the water of the pond can be used by everybody.
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People met: Wage seekers(People who have worked under NREGA) Akhil Mondal (Secretary) R.K.Banerjee (Panchayat member) The important points which came out of the discussion are as follows: The chief points that came out of interviewing the wage seekers and their families are: The villagers had on an average 12-13 days of work which included pond digging and Nala sanchar(drain creation). The pond dug under NREG was owned by 3 people and 25 families were now using it for fishery. Some wage seekers had never got a chance to work under NREGS. Social audit was just a formality. People have not been paid for their earlier work done under NREGS. 700 work hours still remain to be paid. People realize that asset creation should be the prime focus but it does not become feasible on ground at all times due to various reasons. The workers are also not cooperative at times. They sometimes want the entire money even after doing half of the work. Rural connectivity was suggested as an important activity under NREGS. An example of Kochli Gram was shared where a very important road ahs been built up. It connects the village to Bolpur hospital. They had suggested the digging of tube wells to be taken up under NREGS, but since it doesnt come under the purview of NREGS it wasnt considered. There have been situations when the people wanted work but there was no work available. They need the money in the month of Bhadra/Ashim. When they were told that sometimes money goes because of lack of plans: They said its not possible. That looks good to read on newspapers but that never happens at least never in their knowledge. If a budget of 1 crore is asked for, only rs 40 lakhs is sanctioned/ According to Mr. R K Banerjee its better if the workers dont know about it. Otherwise usually they have half of the information and it creates a problem for Panchayat. For example the government is airing the advertisement about after delivery allowance (500/-) for Below Poverty Line (BPL) people. But normally people miss the later part and come to them asking for money. The same will happen with NREGS if it will be communicated. People wont understand the whole scheme and will start coming asking for unemployment allowance.
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The work done under their Panchayat is trees plantation on waste land. They got 6 lakhs Rs. after cutting the trees. 25% to the people who have worked there and 75% to the Panchayat. That was done on Panchayat land. If its personal land, 40% goes to the owner and 60% goes to Panchayat. Only the money required for the project is invested by Panchayat. Under Konkanitala Panchayat, there is one very big project. Orchard of mango trees has been planted. People are earning a lot out of that. Apart from that near the canal they have planted Jhuri Forest. There is no involvement of government in that. A project was shown done on waste land. The proposal was submitted to NREGS, but as it got delayed and the fisheries department approved it earlier. So they went ahead with it with the help of Fisheries Department.
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People met: Members of Kalimangal Dal Anand Loha, Dal neta Gulam, Project leader, DRCSC The important points which came out of the discussion are as follows: There were 18 families in the Dal. The land was of a Zameendar, totaling 22 bighas out of which 7 bighas were for the pond. They earned Rs40, 000 from fish selling last year. There was a Compost pit for Organic manure. The name of the Pond was Kamarpukur. The work started there in yr. 2004. It was a waste land, they received it through Panchayat. Gulam Mustafa on behalf of DRCSC held discussions with the villagers. The members were skeptical about what they will get in return. They started of with 40 families Slowly the number of families went down from 40 to 30 and then to 18 Earlier they had the land around the pond, however they couldnt do fishery and duckery in the pond, they requested the Panchayat to give it to the dal In the beginning fishes were used only for their own consumption Right now they have started selling as well; however the profit is not huge, but they hope that it will grow slowly Service centre contributed Rs10000 + Rs.20000. Apart from that they have taken Rs.1,37,000 of loan from block service centre. Dal will give back half of it to the service centre. They guard the pond and trees around 4 people in night and 2 in day The wife of one member seemed dissatisfied with the idea. She said that his husband feels the same however they dont mention it that it doesnt help them in a big way. She added that they dont get enough money from their husband for household purposes; she knows the situation of home better. Her son who is 26 yrs of age is working. Till date they have not got anything substantial out of this food forest. Last year they got Rs.40000 from fishes and Rs.2000 from vegetables after their own consumption. The money was invested back. Per family they got Rs.400/-. When they will start earning the profit, then only they have to return back the loan they have taken. Everybody doesnt turn up for the work regularly.
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They had thought of charging a fine for that. The water of the pond is used for their own purpose e.g. for food forestry. If they will start giving it for irrigation then fishery and duckery wont be possible as the water of the pond will be finished in the summer season. They can not sustain fishery and duckery in that situation. Sometimes they donate it in case the water is in excess. The fuel they get is very less. Thats used here itself at the site, nothing for their home. They have to spend around 15/- per day for fuel. Earlier they were not able to get the work everyday, once in a year when the dhan is cut then only they used to get the work. Then they have to go out of the village for work, they usually go to Sitapur or Gopta for work. They have worked for road building, Forestry etc. They got 6 days work under NREGA, the wages were paid after 15 days. They never got 100 days of work, got around 30 days work however not continuously, the wages paid varied as Rs65, 68, 72 and 75. Other projects completed under NREGA were pond digging, road development There is no project similar to the Food forestry concept under NREGA. If it is done by govt. it wont be liked, as they feel that they are not working for themselves. They feel because it belongs to them they protect it. Under NREGA, they work they get the money and they leave. There are around 450-500 families in villages. If 2-3 people take the lead and tell rest of the people what to do, give guidance, it can happen under govt. as well. It happens slowly with time. They have a fine system: Rs.5/- for not attending the meeting. They have 3 meetings every month. The money they collect either goes as an investment for fishery or is given as donation to very poor people for different purposes. E.g. 500/- was given for checkup, 1000/- to a person who went to city for work, all is there in accounts. They are mot aware about many facets of the scheme as it hasnt been communicated to them by the GP. No body ever talked about the scheme before in detail (specifically unemployment allowance). We are the first one talking about it. There is lots of politics involved; opposition comes into the picture The opposition will ask them to go ahead for having job cards. And thus misuse of the scheme starts and the system breaks. As people have their own interest, nobody comes forward to oppose any mismanagement or start something new. The attitude is I have my own work, why should I go? If one group will be successful, the others will follow them. Media role: people are so tired of their job that they prefer to watch movies rather than watching any Pulse Polio Ad Pet bharega tabhi to duniya dekhenge is what they have to say about TV watching.
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On asking what are the needs of the villages, they said Road is not there Project of water Pond digging, Nala parishkar Tube well The planning is not proper: during summers work of pond digging and during rainy season work of road making, which is actually not possible due to climatic conditions. For women, they can be provided with say 2 goats, 1 cow and Silai work. These will be the feasible options as it is difficult for them to come out and work. If they have to make people aware about the scheme, they will call them all at one place and will tell them what to do, when to do etc. Even if public wants to know and Panchayat doesnt reveal things, its difficult to spread the news. Govt. gives money but work has to be done by the job-card holders. Work is not done properly, theres no monitoring. 50 days work is planned, but it stops after 20 days. Political situation: earlier unipolar, however now some opposition parties have come up, so probably development will follow. As govt. cant provide funds, so work stops in between. People go to the Panchayat. Panchayat promises to pay and contact higher authority. Some Rs.10k comes and after that work stops again. Laborers ask for 75 Rs. even after doing 50 cubit ft work only. Workers dont want to enter into fighting. Rather than doing measured labor, people prefer to do work from 8a.m. to 2 p.m. and then leave. Then they would be demanding wages for the entire day. 90% laborers dont want to do measured work. At some places they started unmeasured work. Others have started citing these examples. Laborers use measurement criteria at their own will. NREG has all provisions e.g. medicines / crche near the place of work. 1 Lac of NREG work has been sanctioned but not even 50% of that has completed. Ponds are used for irrigation mainly for the rabi crop. And if there is no rain then for rice as well. If the pond is for fisheries, all water can not be used for irrigation. Ponds are given on lease. In the month of April/May/June proper planning is required; adequate fund flow has to be maintained. Sian Panchayat is 1st in India to have achieved 100 days of work delivery.
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People met: Santan Das, Sisis Das, Hriday Hajra, Samun Das, Jagnath Das, Sukal Soren, Sunil Maddi (Villagers & Job card holders) One of them has done his graduation and work as a skilled worker under NREGS; he gave a lot of information. The important points which came out of the discussion are as follows: For a project of digging pond over 200 people worked for almost 14 days The activities included mainly road, pond and nala parishkar. They know about the unemployment allowance but never felt to ask about it. Problems with NREGS: o They get the work for around 50 days o Bhadra, Falgun and Magh: these are the months when they need the work, but no work is there. As this time they get free from farming labor and they can work under NREGS. o May end they start to give the work o In Sept/Oct there is no work but at this time they dont want the work as well. Work that can be included done under NREGS is that of River dam Panchayat proposed this work but at that time they were busy in some other work. Also as Panchayat is not able to get enough funds, they cant pay for the workers. 265 job card holders are registered. They said there is a nearby river named Opai River, if cleaning of the river can be suggested, many man hours will be generated. If the employment generation is sustainable, its better. It means will get the work on continuous basis. But creation of asset doesnt happen. The pond is used for irrigation for 50 bighas land but water dries up in summer so it cant be used for fishery. Forestry doesnt happen around the pond. As there is limited water, it cant be used for vegetables plantation. For a project of NREGS, estimate of the project was 2 lakhs, as planning was not correct, so project remained uncompleted. Regarding Audits they mentioned that they come for monitoring, check the job cards and go back. People come but nothing happens. Panchayat keeps cribbing for BDOs approval. Skilled workers (e.g. Carpenter) are there but since they are also underemployed they also work under NREGS.
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People met: Nupur Da (DRCSC representative and member of the local GUS) Bharat Bagchi, Member of Tarun Krishi Sangha Dal We visited two ponds in the village, which was situated very near to the Jharkhand border. The important points which came out of the discussion are as follows: The Tarun Krishi Sangha Dal was formed in the year 2007. The water from the pond is being used by the neighboring farms. They also grow Babla Tree, Tok Dheros, Tomato, Brinjal, Guchha Bean, Arhar and other creepers around the pond. A total of 16 vegetable types have been planted there. Trees like Sonajhuri, Siris and Shisham have also been planted which are useful for furniture making and as fuel. The profit from the trees cutting will be shared on a 60-40 basis, wherein 60% goes to the Dal and 40% goes to the owner. The pulses and vegetables that they grow now are the sole property of the Dal. The ponds are personal and have been dug under NREGS. DRCSC has convinced the Panchayat and then taken it on lease. Earlier the water in the pond dried up in the summer. It used to be there only for duration of 9 months and the rest 9 months used to be dry. During the last two seasons, they have earned an amount of Rs.3000, out of which Rs.250 was invested back. Most of it has come from the pulses. For starting work on 2 ponds initially and amount of Rs.17000/ was invested. As for the other NREGA activities in the village, 7 ponds, 4 Khaal Sanchar, Concrete Bandh and a little bit of forestry has been done. The average for the village is 32 days of NREGA work. Due to the Panchayat elections this year (2008) no work was planned or implemented since January. Things are almost at a stand still since then. The following are the main points which came out of a chat with Nupur da. Awareness about NREGA in general is very low. The problem is at the planning level itself. Many people in the GUS are uneducated and unskilled. They can not contribute fruitfully to the planning process. There is no incentive for representatives to attend the Gram Sabha meetings. Some members dont attend meeting as they have to go to earn their livelihood which is of course of primary importance to them. Lack of skilled labor is another problem. There are very few skilled people e.g. Raj Mistri (Mason) and Carpenter. They are normally called from the neighboring villages but its not feasible every time.
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There is a huge scarcity of people who can do the plethora of paper work like maintaining the muster roll etc. The member of GUS only get Rs.250/- per year. A total of Rs.4.5 crore went back from Birbhum due to lack of planning and implementation. DRCSC representatives are taking initiatives to spread the awareness about the NREGS. They are distributing leaflets/pamphlets. They are organizing discussion sessions with the villagers. To strengthen the process of planning they are educating the members of the GUS. The two acts namely NREGA and RTI are revolutionary acts in India. With the help of both, a lot can be done specially in the rural areas.
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People met: Nupur Da (DRCSC representative and member of GUS) Laborers working on DRCSC project, members of Narayanpur Sishu Samiti, Sakan Mandal Group Leader: Sapan Mandal We had an opportunity to talk to people who were working on the DRCSC Check Dam model at that very moment. The important points which came out of the discussion are as follows: It was a 120 Bigha plot of land. They are using Dry Zone technology from Purulia. Trees of 35 varieties were planted. The total cost of the project is Rs 3 lacs. After the plantation trees are cut 40% of the profit will go to the owner of the land. The total cost of the project is Rs. 3 lakhs Before starting this project: Conducted many meetings and land Identified the problem Gave them training, made them understand that it will solve your problem e.g. fodder problem, fuel problem etc. It took 3months for this whole process and then they were convinced finally, not totally but still they started working. As villagers could understand their good intention, they got ready for the project and forming the dal. There was a nursery which had started two months ago. The workers get paid Rs 50 instead of Rs 75 which is the standard NREGS pay scale because they are working towards the creation of wealth for themselves. Workers feel that the pay of Rs 75 under NREGS is less and Rs 100 would have been better. The workers openly accepted that they manipulate things sometimes because they know that the authorities also are corrupt. There is a kind of attachment with the work as they know that they are going to reap benefits in the future.
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People met: Villagers The important points which came out of the discussion are as follows: This village was a case where the villagers had revolted against the Panchayat for not paying them their due wages under the NREGA. When the rate of daily wage was Rs 68, they were being paid Rs 50. There are other flaws like when laborers have worked for only 6 days; the entry in their job card is for 10days whereas the payment has been done only for those 6 days period. Panchayat has also issued some false cards. The jobs in the village undertaken under NREGS were ponds, tree plantation and creating a football ground. The villagers have proposed many other projects like building a bandh, guard walls around the ponds to prevent erosion, repairing of roads, etc and they have been approved but work on them hasnt started yet. The village needs a lot of ponds, hence they have been proposed. They feel that the work of NREGS is indeed for the betterment of the village. However the after the NREGS work the pond still gets used mostly by the owner for fishing or irrigation. The want work in the month of Bhadra, but at that time they dont get work. They have heard about unemployment allowance but find it hard to believe that such a thing actually exists. The performance of this Panchayat is one of the worst among the neighboring villages. There has been very less amount of man days generated so far.
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Annexure2.0:ExcerptsofInterviewsatPuruliaDistrict
People met: Members of Gram Panchayat The important points which came out of the discussion are as follows: Announcing through mikes and distributing pamphlets are the two methods used to communicate about the NREGS. There are a total of 2102 job cards in the village. However, people dont apply for the jobs which is mainly due to lack of awareness about the procedure. Some times, they go directly to the work site for work. The Panchayat members feel that it the lack of interest from the workers that is the problem. Not a single person is getting unemployment allowances. The following are the works done under NREGS: Laying of Road Construction of Dam Social forestry Well digging From Gram Sansad the proposals go to Panchayat. Beneficiaries give their land to work on e.g. for pond digging etc. There are sometimes impractical demands by the villagers. There is no shortage of funds for NREGS. The Panchayat had Rs2.5 lakhs with it at that time but it is the lack of awareness that cripples the work. Panchayat officials say that they dont break any government rule. They say that while they planted trees of 40,000 under NREGS, goats have eaten them all. The blame for this is given to the villagers as they had to guard the trees. Lots of ponds were planned under NREGS, but they are not being implemented because of the lack of interest by the villagers. People are not honest as well, they manipulate during the measurement of the work. Women have a consideration over men for the no of cubic feet to be dug.
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People met: Sujith Da, DRCSC representative Manju Rani, Team leader (Dal netri), Gulaj Baha Mahila Dal Sonamoni Tudu, Leader of Neev Sagan dal The important points which came out of the discussion are as follows: Neev Sagan Dal: This dal was formed in the year 2001 with 20 families. Almost every family in the dal has benefited by taking the loan. Everybody in the dal works for the DRCSC projects. Earlier when pond was not there, no farming was possible. They formed a new dal because in the old one it had grown very big. Earlier people were skeptical, however later new people joined when they say saw that everything is going fine and people are getting benefited. Now there are total 4 dals in the village. Mahila Dal: The dal was formed in year 2003 and consists of 12 members. They meet twice a month. Though it was slow to start with, with Sanchay started in the village, the dal became more active. The womens families are supportive of them being financially independent. They face no problem even when they need to go to neighboring villages for training. Each member contributes Rs10/- and DRCSC initially donated 5000/For the first year, loans werent given. After a substantial amount of money was collected a loan of Rs200/- was started to be given. Now, the loan amount has gone up to a maximum of Rs1500/-. The loans are used to develop kitchen garden for consumption as well as selling of vegetables. About NREGS: An average of 10 days work has been provided in the village for jobs like Land leveling, River dam etc. The projects done are not providing any real benefit to the community. The villagers feel no need for work in the months of magh and fagun as they are the months of harvest.
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About DRCSC: A new pond has been dug up in 2007 by DRCSC in this village. At this place, 50% of the rain water evaporates and soil is not able to soak that. So more steps are needed. A total of 22 vareities of vegetables like Bhindi, Seem, Arhar, Kuav (Grass) etc are grown here. Another pond dug by DRCSC was in the Bhurkura village on the land that once belonged to a Zamindaar and was later distributed after land reforms. The profit from the fisheries would be shared between the dal and the owners in the ratio 2:1. But the vegetables will belong to dal. DRCSC has brought in initiatives like Sanchay and Dhan Gola. Sanchay: Sanchay meets every month to discuss and monitor the proceedings. The money collected in the Sanchay can be borrowed for doing chagol palan (cattle rearing) or Murgi Palan (poultry). Instead of the 10% interest they used to pay the mahajan earlier, they now get the loan for 2% interest for duration of 6 months. Currently Sanchay has a fund of 19,000 in the account and another 16,000 lent to the dal members. Now almost everybody in the village is in one or other dal. Nobody goes to mahajan. Dhan Gola: They also have the concept of Dhan Gola, where the villagers can borrow grain when there is a shortage which normally occurs in the month of bhadra. The interest to be paid is 6.5 Kgs on a loan of 26 Kgs. For Dhan Gola each member contributes 26 Kg of grain and an additional 100 kg is provided by DRCSC.
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People Met: Nitya Gosawmi., Cashier of Dwarkeshwar Bhalukgajar Chasi dal The important points which came out of the discussion are as follows: We met Dwarkeshwar Bhalukgajar Chasi Dal. The dal here consists of 30 families. A well with a depth of 26 ft was dug near the Dwarkeshwar River which currently has a water level of 21 4. While the projected cost was 2.6 lakhs, it reached to 3.38 lakhs due to the stony nature of the land and also the engineers technical mistakes. A total of 1600 man days were generated for this project. The work was started last year. The people who have the land around, they work for digging the well. Everybody has to contribute 10/- per hour for the time machine (motor pump) is running, out of which 5/- goes to motor maintenance and 5/- goes to us to guard and performing all other responsibilities. If a person outside the dal take the water, then we charge 20/- to him. Mixed Farming: This is a model where two crops are grown simultaneously generally in the combination below. Wheat Sarson Matar Sarson Aloo Methisag This gives the farmers a fall back incase one crop doesnt harvest well. 1.5 bighas 12 men wheat and Sarson in between. When they worked for the project, they got 50/- per day. Right now they are getting water for 70-80 bighas. In future they are planning to irrigate 400 bighas land. Plans or on to include more landless people as beneficiaries of the projects.
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People met: RajuDa, the DRCSC representative and FGDs with the people working at the forest site The important points which came out of the discussion are as follows: The land for social forestry was provided by the Panchayat. In the beginning, there were 42 families who suggested which trees should to be grown, to the Panchayat. But Panchayat would allow growing only Eucalyptus and Sonajhuri. The main reason behind it is the quick returns. Per tree earning for Eucalyptus and Sonajhuri is about Rs. 30. So, from the trees cutting of 1.6 lakh trees, the members families earned 2.8lakhs in the first year 3.36 lakhs in the second year In Chaitra month, they planted these trees. Money was invested by Panchayat. For 1 ft*18inch * 2 ft: they got Rs. 20 to 22/- They dug around 500 pits The first cutting of trees could be done within first 8 years itself. The second cutting is done after 12-13 years. However, the land becomes barren after the 3rd or 4th cutting and no other varieties of tree grow there. One more reason for planting Eucalyptus and Sonajhuri is the low maintenance costs. Cattle and goats dont eat the plants of the trees. In the beginning they planted few varieties of the trees other than Eucalyptus and Sonajhuri. But the maintenance cost them a huge amount and effort. So, they chose these two varieties as per Panchayats suggestion. Initial investment was done by the Panchayat. The money earned by selling the trees was used to pay back their loans, buying carts, building the club house and for savings and other household expenses. Work under NREGS: 95% people in the village are dependent on farming and the land being the dry and stony, doesnt have enough ground water. So, irrigation facilities are more demanded by the villagers. Hence ponds which were dug and not used are renovated and used for irrigation. Under NREGS, 3 ponds are dug for irrigation, with the budget of 4.3 lakh, 4.3 lakh and 3.5 lakh respectively. Other work done under NREGS are road development (Gramer Rasta), land leveling and nursery for social forestry ( 3 months continuosly).
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According to the villagers, lots of work has been done under NREGS but they dont have sufficient workers for it. Anyhow, they are very happy with the work of the government and expect few more roads and canal building. Few more suggestions by the villagers for NREGS work process was about road repairing to be done before the rainy season as there is heavy erosion. Also, like many other agriculture based villages people of Purulia suggested that there should not be any work during the months of Bhadro and Asin. Raju Das view (as a representative of DRCSC) According to him, Panchayat tried providing the villagers with variety of trees for plantation. But, villagers dont want to grow anything other than Eucalyptus and Sonajhuri as in this case they are sure about the quick returns and profits. However, they are not aware about the other side of growing Eucalyptus and Sonajhuri, which deteriorates the soil quality. He believes that it is Panchayats responsibility to make them aware about the consequences of planting only two varieties of trees. Showing a piece of land in that specific area, he told us how the land on which Eucalyptus and Sonajhuri turns barren. He mentioned that there is no biomass and no diversity through this plantation, as they dont return anything to the land. Because of the type of minerals they suck away from the land, even grass doesnt grow around it. Also, after 3-4 plantations this land becomes barren and the ground water level also decreases. Lot of effort goes in recovering the fertility of the land. According to him, the villagers are very profit centric and dont understand the consequences of it to their latter generation. Also, he is of an opinion that there is no actual profit to the community through this plantation. Government expenditure for planting a single tree is: Rs 5-6 (Sapling) + 22/- digging the pit + 5/- Cutting of the tree after few years (Chatai) + Manure + Miscellaneous = Rs. 32/Whereas, they get Rs.30 from one tree. Which is in fact, a loss of Rs. 2 They get around Rs. 8000-10,000 each time thy cut trees. Also, after 3 years they get profit from the leaves of the tree by selling them as fuel, which is around a minimal amount of Rs. 50 per tree per year.
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People met: Mahadev da, the group leader Sujith Da, the DRCSC representative The important points which came out of the discussion is as follows: Tasar Chaasi Samiti was the dal formed of 10 members in 2005. They divided the area into 2 bighas for Kul (Ber) and 8 bighas for Arjun tree. These trees are used for silk worm rearing. Kul trees have worms that yield fine silk. For the first time they have tried mixed variety of trees for sericulture. The main hurdle they face is that for 1000 kg of silk, they used to get only Rs. 500-700 and the major portion of earnings went to the middle men. So, DRCSC decided to give them training for silk processing (1 month training) so that they can make final thread themselves and sell it directly. Earlier they used to grow dhan only. Now after sericulture they have 3 crops a year: 1st: They dont do it. 2nd: In Bhadra 3rd: In Posh Their total earning from this is around Rs.12000-14000, which is then equally distributed among all the dal members. Facts about NREGS: People have good information about the act as heard form the Panchayat. They had a work of road building for 1 month continuously, for which they were paid Rs.70-80. A pond and dam work is future projects proposed under NREGS. Also, they prefer work to be given during the months of Magh and Fagun. Facts about sericulture: In 1995-96 they planted Arjun trees over the land of 3 bighas with the help of DRCSCs training and machinery. With the training from DRCSC, they are involved in direct sale of silk by eliminating the middlemen. Till now they have had 3 crops and earned around Rs. 35000-36000/Sericulture department is also involved with the responsibility of chatai every 2 year. According to them, people prefer Eucalyptus and Sonajhuri plantation over this because it requires less maintenance and time.
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Defending themselves they mentioned that the Arjun trees are good for the entire ecosystem, because those insects that feed on its leaves make the land fertile by their excreta and the trees also allow other grass to grow around them, unlike Eucalyptus and Sonajhuri. Also, apart from silk they can have wood and fuel from Arjun tree apart from silk. Even as the land becomes fertile, cultivation can be done on it after cutting down the trees. After growing these trees, they have now realized which plantation is better and more profitable. Some people also got inspired for Arjun plantation after looking at their progress. They believe if proper facilities are available one can also have 4 crops rather then 3 crops. There has to be gap between two consecutive crops as the leaves have to grow, these leaves are eaten by insects. Alternate ways of creating man-days: Sapling preparation can be done rather than buying, so that the cost is minimal and man days is also generated. Pit formation is generating man-days: preparing organic matter (man-days generated) compost dung (Material cost =0, Man days generated) Work camp for plantation Protection - 1 to 2 man days generated for 2 yrs Inter cultural operation Inter cropping which is done 3 to 4 times in a year depending on the soil type, can also help in generating man days. So overall there is less material cost and substantial man days generated. The benefits from this model are: Food, Fuel, Fodder, Soil conservation, ecological improvement and biomass and ecosystem development as a whole. This is an IGP (Income Generation) Model which leads to long term sustenance (reeling, weaving, processing-all three steps involved)
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People met: Nityanand Mandal, a member of Panchayat Samiti and the ex Up-pradhan of Santhali GP. The important points which came out of the discussion are as follows: Few statistics about the village, according to 1991 census: Area 25 sq. km Total families: 1982 (2575 in year 2001) Population SC: 4250, ST: 3451 Male: 5914, Female: 5810 Total villages: 17 with population 11724 (13752 in year 2001) Facts about literacy in the village: There is high literacy in the village at the rate of 62%. All the children in the village have school education with high participation from girls also. Giving the example of high girl education, they mentioned the nearby village school having 45 girls and 40 boys of Santhal community. Facts obtained: People have good knowledge about the act due to high literacy among villagers and advertisement campaigns through mikes, wall writing at schools and pamphlets. Hence, large number (1780) of job cards was issued. Opposition has also played an important role in instigating people to issue job cards and propagating the unsaid part of the Act like unemployment allowances. The projects to be worked under NREGS are decided through a long procedure of Sansad meetings. Sansad meetings are conducted twice a year, with around 800 voters participating. A new Sansad is formed if number of voters exceeds 800. At least two-third of the members should be present in the meeting to discuss the project. If this doesnt happen, second meeting is called. Even after this people dont turn up, the project is decided by as many people as present then. These projects are then passed to the Panchayat. A team of Pradhan. Up-pradhan ad two other members monitor the project at the Gram Panchayat level. There are training centre at district level. The estimated Budget is then allocated to the District Magistrate from the central government offices. This is assumed to be one of the main reasons of the delay. According to Panchayat members the process of budget allocation is so complicated that the 1st installment which should reach in Apr-March comes in November.
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Due to this, some part of budgets remains unused. This spill is then transferred to next year and deducted from next years budget. Also, there complaint was that this is later considered as a discredit for the Panchayat. The NREGS budget for last year was Rs. 3,97,000 : 1129901.54/- (Spill over from last year) + 1534974/- (Received during that year) + 2664875.54/- (Availability) + 2629163/- (Expenditure during the month) + 35712.54/(Balance) Some of the other problems faced by them includes: Shortage of man power o For paper work at the office. Due to this, all the work gets delayed by almost a week and hence there are payment delays. o For skilled work. Dearth of engineers and also measurement and dispatch staff. Also, the labourers are very selective about their work. Due to delay in budgets, the work started late and due to rains all the work are left incomplete. The main projects undertaken under NREGS are pond digging and pond renovation. Till then around 23 pond projects were approved. The most costly project is of 4.32 lakh and smallest amount for a pond project is 3.32 lakh. When asked about the asset creation, they mentioned that every project is undertaken with the clear objective of employment generation and community asset creation. While taking any project they measure the asset generation also like for a pond, how much irrigation can it increase? How many crops can increase? For this even if the project doesnt fit in the 60:40 ratio, special permissions for 70:30 projects are asked from the District Magistrate. According to them, the main objective of the Act is the improvement in the lives of villagers. E.g. Road development is to ensure that villagers have easy communication between the villages. Hence, inspite of disadvantages of Eucalyptus and Sonajhari plantation we allow villagers to work on it, as they require very less maintenance and very less water. Also, people can get good money by selling them. They were aware of successful models at Jagnathdi village but were pessimistic believing that the situations are different in different villages and hence success cant be replicated easily One of the requirements as per the Act is the quarterly audit at block level. But then there are very less field visits made by the authorities. Few other suggestions by the Panchayat were: Simplification of rules Also as the authority lies with the District Magistrate (DM), it takes a long time to get the approval for anything from him.
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People met: Sujith Da, DRCSC representative Member of Ranadi Bindu Chandan Teksai Krishak Dal Deblal Kisku, Dal leader, Ranadi Bindu Chandan Teksai Krishak Dal Sunamuni Hebrum, Team leader of Mahila Dal The important points which came out of the discussion are as follows: Facts about NREGS: People are aware about the act from the TV and radio ads and also from the members of Panchayat and Gram Unnayan Samiti (GUS). Hence, almost everyone in the village holds a job card. However, they had a complaint about the procedure of approval of projects. According to them, many projects were proposed by them to the GUS but there selection becomes difficult as there are many projects proposed by various padas. There are about 13 villages under this Gram Panchayat, so approval of all the projects become difficult. Other issues are about delay in the work, suspensions of the projects midway and incorrect timings of the work (work needed in Fagun/Maagh). Social forestry and semi-circular dam model: The Dal of 19 families formed in 2001. Initially, they were involved in the activities of mixed farming, vegetable plantation around the pond, Pukur chas, fishery, food forestry etc. Today they have leased 12 acres of land for next 30 years. It is utilized for social forestry of 32 varieties of trees like Segun,Cotton, Shisham and Teak, managed by 14 families of the dal. The initial investment for this project of Rs.35400/- came from DRCSC and personal investment of Rs.12444 from the dal families. o Investments could be broken down as: Plantation = 32400/- = 27000/- (From DRCSC) + 5400/- (Self) Nursery = 7500/- (From DRCSC) This forestry generates 7800 man-days in total with 8% of it coming from preparing organic manure. One very innovative concept of this forest was its semi-circular dams beside the trees. The semi-circular dams prevent water from flowing down the slope and allow it to be absorbed by the soil. Hence, these dams not only prevent soil erosion but also help in rain water conservation. The earnings from this relieved them from the loans from Mahajan, which was charged at 10% interest.
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Earlier they have to go to Bardhman for Dhankatai and Dhan Jhadai. Now they dont have to go out, they grow vegetables, fish for their own consumption. From one pond they get the fishes thrice .Itll be better if we have more ponds. Today they are involved in the activities of Beej Bhandar and Sanchay. They have a Sanchay of Rs.1000-1200 by monthly meetings of Rs.10. The loans are given for 2% interest rate for 6 months. They have different Sanchays for men and women. Mahila Dal: They have a Mahila Dal of 16 women who meet atleast once a week to discuss about different activities they carry out They are mainly involved in nursery, Dhan Gola and goat rearings. They also have their own Sanchay of Rs.5000. Recently, they have leased a pond for 5 years to work on it. The Mahila Dal is involved in other activities also like Dhan Gola and goat rearing. The profit they get out of all these activities is divided in the ratio of 30:70 They prepare Charu using the grass grown, which they sell in neighborhood for 10/-. They dont sell it on commercial basis. They have planted different varieties of trees e.g. Rassi, Lau, Gorsuti, Dami Ghas and trees for fruits and oil and Subabool for fodder, rest are cut and sold. Other sources of incomes are the animals reared by them. A goat is sold for Rs.350-1000 and Rs.5 for sheep wool. They also sell Jhadu(broom) and chatai(carpet) for Rs.15-25. However, these things demand high labour and not much profit; they are more a part of leisure than main earnings. Facts about literacy in the village: There is free education till 5th class under Shishu Shiksha Kendra. After that the fees of Rs.700-800 are charged till 9th class and later Rs. 3000 for further education. This has been one of the main reasons for drop outs of students after high school.
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People met: Sujith Da, DRCSC representative Member of Ranadi Bindu Chandan Teksai Krishak Dal The important points which came out of the discussion are as follows: Lady is involved in kitchen gardening in her backyard since last 3-4 years with the assistance from DRCSC. Initially they were involved in only seed collection, tomato and potato collection. Now she plants variety of plants like turmeric, brinjal etc.after proper training from DRCSC about organic manure preparing and selecting the right variety of plants to be grown. They use these vegetables for personal consumption.
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People Met: Villagers The important points which came out of the discussion are as follows 32 families are there in the group in year 2007. 42 bighas of land is there, there are 37 of local varieties of trees e.g. Segun, Seshu etc. There is a committee of 5 people to decide about it. For 3 months work was going on. Almost everybody from the group has worked here. They have also maintained the nursery. There are total 4 dal in the village. Earlier there was no dal, now they are involved in many activities e.g. Sabji Bagan, Small Pond and fishery, Lakha etc. Also the pond is helpful for soil conservation purpose as well. 15 people own the land. They have taken it from them for 25 yrs. The kind of soil which is there, it is not possible to do grow any kind of crop there. The profit is divided in the ratio of 1/3:2/3 to owner and dal respectively. Also near to this place, they do farming and grow bhutta and dhan. However production is very less. Because of the slope, there is high amount of soil erosion. They can get fodder and fuel from the forest. There grow arhar dal in between of the trees. Also there is a variety of grass named Baguni which is used for making the rope (Twice in a year). They get 4-5/- per kg for this or 12-15/- for a rope which is a good source of earning for them. Also it grows again and again and dont need any maintenance. They also have the problem of fuel. The forest will solve the problem of fuel as well. There is a nearby pond spread in 15 bighas where the dal does the farming as well. They have unity in their group and that is why everybody takes care and guards the forest. As per the need of the dal, they can cut the trees. With the water from the pond, they do the mixed farming including rice, corn and biyuli. The step pond is owned by one person. Earlier there was no pond. It was dug with the help of Service Centre. They worked there for around 3 months. Now they are able to do fishery and duckery. Also they get the water for irrigation for the 15 bighas land. The crop and fishes are shared in the same ratio as mentioned earlier.
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People met: Members of Kawatanga Chasi Dal The important points which came out of the discussion are as follows: Social Forestry: The project is on a government land taken on lease where the stony nature of the soil means that the soil here is prone to soil erosion. To avoid soil erosion and the same time to derive some benefit for the community, different trees are being planted here. Members from 3 dals are working at the plantation site at a wage rate of Rs50/- per day. Where only Sonajhuri was there earlier, different trees like Segun, Mohul etc. are being planted now so that the soil doesnt get depleted of minerals. In future more varieties of plants like arhar, some vegetables and babui as well would be planted. This is a project with a long term objective of conserving the soil. The benefits would appear only after 15-20 years. Mahila Dal: Earlier men and women used to meet separately but now they attend the meetings together. The members have collected Rs7900/- through Sanchay which is deposited in the bank. Maagh-Falgun. The dal here pro actively gave a proposal to DRCSC for work. They have been working for 8 days then. The money borrowed from Sanchay is normally used for farming, cattle rearing and poultry. This group has earlier worked in a couple of NREGS projects like road building and pond digging for around 60 days. They got the money for the work they did with in 8 to 10 days. Interestingly, the pond created by NREGS work is not in their village. It is in a neighboring village while this village doesnt have a pond. There is a good awareness about the NREGS and the procedures involved in it. The month of bhadra is when work would be there, so they apply around the same time. There is big problem of water: So if we can have nal koop, and more ponds it will be good for the village. They understand the concept of sustainable asset creation. Very interestingly, they associated it with the babaui, a plant that doesnt die and grows again and again.
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The proposal given to DRCSC was first given to Gram sansad but there was no response from them. In the school, it is not in good condition. There is only one teacher to teach all students up to class 5th. Primary school is nearby in Berandavill. High school is too far, around 7k.m. In their families no one has done high school. There are only 2 OBC girls who have done their high school. Boys when grow they go out for the work. Thekedar makes a team and take them with him to work in the nearby towns or city. There is no high school for girls in the village. While there is one for boys, kids cannot join there because they are not able to clear primary school. In their village two boys named Sanjeev and his sibling got the admission in the high school but couldnt clear. They have good financial background and there is no work pressure on them. They also have the cycle to go to the school. The government policies also dont encourage education. There is a plan that encourages marriages for girls in Jharkhand which gives Rs 12000/- to the father of the girl getting married but there is no plan to encourage education.

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Annexure3.0:ExcerptsofInterviewsatNorth24ParganasDistrict
People met: Ram Da, DRCSC representative; and Members of the Jamuna Mahila Dal The important points which came out of the discussion are as follows: The Dal, as part of its operations, has taken up the work of land-shaping and organic farming. By land-shaping they have been able to utilize their land in a better manner and improve its productivity. Prior to the intervention of DRCSC, they used to grow only dhaan (paddy). However, now their produce also includes vegetables and creepers throughout the year. The Dal members were imparted introductory training on farming and food processing at the ARTC. Earlier, the cultivable land used to get flooded during the rainy season, thus reducing the productivity drastically, and the Dal members used to harvest around Rs. 500- 600 from the land on an average. Now, with the implementation of land-shaping and mixed farming, the same area of land yields about Rs. 5000- 6000 annually. Apart from farming, now they also engage themselves in breeding fish and ducks, and the sale proceeds of the fish and the ducks eggs add to the family income. The group members have shifted from chemical fertilizers to organic farming in a big way. In fact, now they use organic manure only. The demand for organic vegetables has grown considerably. This is mainly due to their better taste and the fact that they are safer as compared to chemically treated vegetables. The possibility of falling ill after consuming chemically grown vegetables is thus removed. Organically grown vegetables also fetch a higher price, even in the local market. The Service Centre also imparts training to the Mahila Dal on the importance and methods of sustainable agriculture. The Jamuna Mahila Samiti was formed after Ram Da generated awareness about the importance and benefits of a Samiti. The Samiti was formed in 2004 with 12 members, a number which has now increased to 16. The Dal members meet once a month when they deposit the money for Sanchay, a community bank. Each member pays Rs. 10 per month.
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Sanchay provides loans to the needy at an interest rate as low as 2% to its members for various reasons like farming, fish-breeding, family weddings and education. A seminar on Adulterated food was organized for the villagers, which prompted the Mahila Samiti to take up the initiative of processing, packaging and supplying spices to nearby areas. Some of the villagers also grow and sell flowers, and visit nearby areas to sell their produce. In these markets, they meet more people and bring in more orders for their spices business. They also deliver their spices to their clients. The flowers mainly consist of marigold. They also sell jute and the women sew football jerseys to add to the family income. The material for the jerseys is provided by the traders who employ them. The literacy rate in the village is quite high and almost all the village children visit a nearby school for their education. Activities in the village under NREGA Killing of birds when bird flu spread Land leveling in a school Pond digging Padda Nadi Sanskar(Bank creation)
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People met: Shri Nimai Mandal, Up-Pradhan of the Panchayat Harendra Nath Mandal, assistant to the Up- Panchayat The important points which came out of the discussion are as follows: NREGS plays an important role in the progress of a village NREGS was implemented in this village in 2007. Prior to the NREGS, it was HGROI. It takes time to adapt to any new system, they said. The types of work done under the NREGS in the village are the following: Land leveling of football ground, movie hall and Prathmik Swasthya Kendra Building of roads and conversion of kutcha road to pukka roads Building of a dam Building of a canal Some personal ponds have also been dug or renovated under the NREGS. Others can also use the water from such ponds for the purpose of irrigation. The Panchayat concentrates on asset creation such as roads and the 22 km- long river dam project which cost about Rs. 23 lakhs. The permission for 23 ponds has been given till date. All projects must be approved by the Zila Parishad for them to be implemented. A considerable amount of work under NREGS is not completed on time because the soil remains too soft to work for over 5 months, which hampers work completion. The above-mentioned is also a reason for the villagers not getting 100 days of work, which is mandatory under the NREGS. On top of it, the salinity of the water hinders the growth of more than one crop a year. The water table is also very low. In fact, only after digging for about 700 feet, normal soft water can be found. The digging of ponds would ensure that there would be enough stored water for irrigation of crops. The problem of scarcity of water is more acute in summers, which can be overcome by bringing in water from canals and/or ponds. The process flow: Sansad meeting (What work is required) Gram Sabha (Priority list) Gram Panchayat (Action plan) The paper work done under NREGS is quite different from that done under HGROI. A lack of human resources in the Panchayat administration also delays the payment process of the laborers. A large number of laborers have not been paid their wages for over 3 months. Some laborers leave work because of the delayed payment procedure.
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The awareness about the NREGS is quite high; however, the villagers are not aware about the details. We try to educate the people through the Gram Sabha, Gram Sansad and Gram Panchayat meetings; for generating awareness, we also spread word by mouth and use posters and wall writings. The labourers are unaware of the unemployment allowance. Even after educating them, they do not apply for the same. At times, we provide work to them in a nearby village but they refuse to go there and work. Probably that is why they do not claim unemployment allowance. We do not get funds for unemployment allowance from the BDO; the BDO office is about 26 kms and one has to cross two rivers to get there. Hence it is quite a tedious process. However, there are some who misuse it too and apply for job card just to demand for unemployment allowance. The lack of knowledge in people in the village is a big problem. They fail to understand that they can grow multiple crops simultaneously. We collected 30 people for land shaping and trained them on fish- breeding and food forestry. However, they still do not understand the concept of asset creation. To counter the problem of lack of knowledge, we are planning more awareness campaigns in the future. As of now, two land-shaping programs under way, on personal land. Prior to the commencement of the work, they were asked to submit a design of the proposed projects. Currently, there is no provision for measurement of asset creation. Trees were planted along a 3-km stretch alongside the canal that was built under the NREGS. Apart from using the water from the canal for irrigation, people also use it for community fish-breeding. The revenue generated from tree-cutting has to be shared with the Panchayat such that they get 25% of it. The people are still unaware about a lot of things.
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People met: Bishnu Badhu Mandal Deepali Mandal & Vishakha Mandal, members of Aagmani Swanirbhar Dal The important points which came out of the discussion are as follows: In Feb08, 10 households came together and started Dhan Gola Everybody contributes 1 basta(sack) which is. 60kgs (So total 10 bastas) + 10 bastas from DRCSC = 20 bastas i.e. 1200 kgs They have scarcity of grain in Bhadra, Asin and Kartik month, at that time they can take loan from Dhan Gola They have to return it by Posh month; The interest rate is 5kgs on 60 kgs For Sanchay, everybody contributes 10/- per month, so total 200/- per month. They took a loan of 3500/- from DRCSC for starting it. There is 7200/- in their account but that is not sufficient for their requirement. They still have to go to Mahajan for loan. They have also prepared Grass Gola for their cattle Many people have to go to cities for their livelihood. The people go out for work to Adarsh district. Almost 25-30% people have gone to Bangalore, Tamilnadu, Orissa, Andman for work. Family head of almost every family have gone to the places like Hugli, Bardhman, Midhnapur. Almost every kid goes to primary school. There are 2 primary schools in 1 periphery of 1km. For studying in high school, you have to pay 600-700/- That is half km far from this place. A few kid get old books. There is a Primary Health Centre at a distance of 4 km. There are total 3 PHCs in this block. Block Primary Health Centre is 23 km from their village. There is a sub-centre half km away from the place. There is no hospital in nearby villages. They normally suffer from medical problems like delivery (Mal Nutrition), Snake biting etc. NREGS work in the region was there only for about 10days that too not continuous but they got their wages in time.
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People met: Asaram Gazi, member of GP Mritunjay Mandal, member of GP Sahidulah Gazi, Pradhan of GP Sachindanath Sarkar, Secretary at GP Partho Majumdar, Job assistant (Nirman Sahayak) at GP M.N. Roy, Sachiv, Panchayat Bhabatesh Biswas, member of GP Anjali Bauria, member of GP Sahjida Bibi, member of GP The important points which came out of the discussion are as follows: The NREGS work in this GP started only in February08. Theres a lot of paper work involved. The proposals need to be approved by the DM. A lot of time goes into the procedural work and there is a huge delay in actually getting the money. As the scheme has started only a few days back, the GP is not equipped enough to carry out the operations that effectively. They believe as time passes they will be more confident about the things. When they started, it so happened that they couldnt inform everyone that work has come. Out of a total of Rs 1.09Crores asked only 54 lakhs have been paid so far. The procedures even got delayed due to Panchayat elections in the state. 400 ponds, roads and Khaal (canal) have been planned under the NREGS. The first approval came in the month of January and the work was done from Jan-mar08. There was approval for 300 individual ponds, 30 earthen embankments and 20-22 brick embankments. Out of these 200 ponds are completed (some are in between because of the rain). 80% are fully completed and 20% are partly completed.6 roads are completed and 4 brick roads are completed. The GP has chosen 6-7 models suggested by the Krishi office. E.g. for a pond there are models which specify the dimensions, soil condition, etc. Now out of all the applications of ponds whosoevers fits into those models are given for approval. If a new model is suggested through the Krishi office they are willing to take it up. Social forestry has also been planned but couldnt been under taken due to rains and Panchayat elections. It will be done next year. The NREGS work so far has been digging of individual ponds. There was no concentration on community asset creation, which seems difficult in the densely populated region where people have very small landholdings.
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A total of 3963 job cards have been issued. Villagers apply for job cards thinking its similar to a Ration card which may give them several government facilities. They pay 50p/form for the paper work. The paper work has a lots of stages: Job card application Register Job card issuance Scheme approval from BDO Fund allotment Labour application Maintenance of muster rolls, measurement sheet & measurement book Approval of secretary Payment of laborers There is a dearth of HR at the GP. Its very difficult to find skilled/semi-skilled labor; same person cant work again and again at the same place. To recruit other its difficult. It takes time and then lots of politics is involved. During the Panchayat elections the Nirmaan Sahayak was busy, but the work went on. There is a constraint that One GP cant start more than 5 projects at a time. People have different demands when they propose some project on their land e.g. the soil which comes out of digging the pond; the farmer may want that to get disposed 200 ft away from the pond. It becomes difficult if its not mentioned initially and proposed only at the time of execution of the project it. People should mention that at the time of planning itself. The GP believes that after the pond digging is done its the responsibility of the villagers to take care of it to get sustainable models. They have communicated the concept of asset creation to the villagers during Sansad meetings. They also realize that the planning for the projects should be proper.eg. There is a requirement of a pond in the Northwest side of the GP. The Bandh around the river also needs to be of adequate width.

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People Met: Azizur Rehman Gazi Malik Da, Head of Suhriday The important points which came out of the discussion is as follows Rehman has 3.5 bigha of land, in which there are two ponds:one of 10 Katha and the other of 3 katha. He has been attending the Krishi Pathshaala started by a local NGO SuHriday. There are in total 4 Krishi Pathshaalas, two under Sandal Bel GP and two under Hingalganj GP. There they learnt about organic farming and other sustainable farming techniques and fishery. Earlier they used to have only one crop, now thy can go for 2 crops in a year. Apart from that they grow many types of vegetables now e.g. lauki, kumda, paui, saag and other creepers e.g. sim, baigun, chilly, kochu at the borders of the farm. There income has doubled since they have started to have 2 crops with the help of the water stored in the ponds. Earlier the farming was dependent on monsoon, so they can have rice only for their own consumption. Now they have 3 types of vegetables: creepers, above the ground and below the ground. So in total they can have vegetables 3*3 = 9 times. Earlier it was not possible because of salty ground water. Now when they can store water in the ponds they can use it for farming. The trend in that area is that Panchayat helps the farmers to dig their individual ponds under NREGS with the help of laborers. There are total 35 ponds like this one under their GP. For Rehmans pond 26 people worked daily. 300 man days generated through the pond and 30 man days generated for dressing. Before undertaking the project, it was discussed with Gram Sabha members and then discussed with Pradhan. They checked the land and then finally they decided to accept the proposal. If there is more than 4 ft water in the pond, it can be used by the neighbors for irrigation. Its not possible to share the water with everybody. Rehman feels that if other farmers in the neighborhood will go for the same, their condition will also improve. But they are not showing enough interest. He believes that when people will see the benefit, they will start to adapt the same model because then they can have vegetable, food & livelihood security.
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Rehman is thinking to join the two ponds through a small canal so that the fishes can move through that, and in the month of July-Sep when there is water in the field the fishes can go to the water in the farm as well. The more the movement of the fishes, the better they will grow. They have proposed for a Khaal Sanskar (Canal) and a community pond.
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NREGS

A STUDY OF SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD MODELS

NREGS: A Study of Sustainable Livelihood Models

MICARVAAN: A Rural Immersion Program

NREGS: A Study of Sustainable Livelihood Models

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MoRD(Ministryof RuralDevelopment) NEGC(NationalEm ploymentGuarantee Council)

StateGovernment Advisory,Monitoring &Evaluation

SEGC(StateEm ploymentGuarantee Council)

NREGS: A Study of Sustainable Livelihood Models

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NREGS: A Study of Sustainable Livelihood Models

NREGS: A Study of Sustainable Livelihood Models

NREGS: A Study of Sustainable Livelihood Models

NREGS: A Study of Sustainable Livelihood Models

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Man days Labor Generated Rate 2856 70

Labor Cost 1,99,20

Material Cost 35,000

Total Cost 2,34,500

NREGS: A Study of Sustainable Livelihood Models

Village:Salya STEPPOND District: Purulia State: West Bengal

Man Days 1950

Labor Cost 132600

Material Cost NIL

Total Cost 132600

NREGS: A Study of Sustainable Livelihood Models

Village:Sonathali District:Purulia State:WestBengal SOCIALFORESTRY

Well Digging, Machinery, Well Paving Mixed Cropping

NREGS: A Study of Sustainable Livelihood Models

District: Birbhum State: West Bengal

Plantation 80 730 2year Protection Total 850

NREGS: A Study of Sustainable Livelihood Models

Village:Chatanigora District:Purulia State:WestBengal

NREGS: A Study of Sustainable Livelihood Models

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NREGS: A Study of Sustainable Livelihood Models

NREGS: A Study of Sustainable Livelihood Models

NREGS: A Study of Sustainable Livelihood Models

NREGS: A Study of Sustainable Livelihood Models

NREGS: A Study of Sustainable Livelihood Models

NREGS: A Study of Sustainable Livelihood Models

NREGS: A Study of Sustainable Livelihood Models

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Involvementofother implementingagen cies

NREGS: A Study of Sustainable Livelihood Models

NREGS: A Study of Sustainable Livelihood Models