Plug loopholes in the implementation of MGNREGS
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: September 09 2011 -

After liberalization, the Indian economy got a fillip, going on to become one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Riches and luxury consumers items, bikes, cars, electronic goods, branded apparels, computers, McDowell's, Coca colas and Pepis, shopping malls, multiplexes, came be available within the country.

The middle class expanded, the IT sector boomed, salaries in corporate sector, especially in the higher end of the hierarchy, showed a quantum jump, television channels expanded exponentially.

It all seemed so good, so rosy, there was talk about 'India Shining' all around. But it became obvious that the benefits of an economy on ascendency was not shared equally, the income disparities became ever wider, a huge sections of the population who were left of the spoil of a booming economy were finding it tough going, farmers suicides in some parts of the country being an extreme example of the helplessness of this huge section of the population.

In such a context, the enactment of the National Rural Emplyment Guarantee Scheme act 2005, renamed as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in 2009 is to be appreciated as a progressive act which would help remedy this imbalance in some measure.

The act envisages providing one hundred days employment for each financial year to adult members of a rural household at the minimum wage of Rs 120 per day.

Some of the provisions of the Act are very laudable, like the devolution of power to the gram Panchayats, equitable pay for man and woman, work to be provide with 5 km of the village, facilities drinking water, crèche etc at work sites, paying off wages on a weekly basis etc. to name a few.

Implemented properly the MGNREGS would help in increasing the purchasing power of many householders in rural areas who have very little means of earning a livelihood. NREGS was implemented in Tamenglong district in the phase I while in Phase II it was implemented in Chandel and Chrachandpur while the rest of the districts were included in Phase III.

But what could have been used to alleviate the life of the rural poor has run into obstacles of various kinds.

These include from extortion by armed groups, non release of funds by the state government share, non payment of full wages to the job card holders, non implementation of schemes because of litigation etc.

Cases of threats to Pradhans of Gram Panchayats for a share of the MGNREGS funds have been widely reported in the local media, there have been complains galore about deduction of wages of card holders, only yesterday there was a report alleging misappropriation of wages of job card holders under Nilkuthi Gram Panchayat.

Instances of wages not being paid for months on end abound, this, despite the fact that the Act provides of payment of wages not beyond a fortnight. Rarely are the job card holders provided 100 days of work.

Job card holders in Komdompokpi Gram Panchayat had to go without work for two years a because of litigation. All these need to be looked into so that the Act becomes a meaningful tool of intervention towards more inclusive growth as it is mandated to be.

It is also equally important to see to it that the programme undertaken helps not just in giving employment but result in formation of assets which would benefit the community in the long run.

Many a times we find work is carried just for the sake of giving employment, it is not uncommon sight to come across hundreds of job card holders plucking grasses or cutting hedges in the name of NREGS.

Notwithstanding factors beyond its control, it is time concerned authorities, paid due attention to pluck these loopholes in the implementation of MNREGS so that it truly provides security of livelihood to those who need them the most.