Since the implementation of MGNREGS we have been hearing about a number of successful stories and irregularities too. In this article I am going to present the facts from a village of Odisha regarding the irregularities in the implementation of MGNREGA. The irregularities have, however, happened with the consent of the community. The objective of MGNREGA is to ensure livelihood security of rural people by guaranteeing at least 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. The Act envisages the following: (i) Enhance livelihood security of the rural poor by generating wage employment; (ii) opportunities in works that develop the infrastructure base of that particular locality; (iii) Rejuvenate natural resource base of the area concerned; (iv) Create a productive rural asset base; (v) Stimulate local economy for providing wage employment; and (vi) Ensure women empowerment.
The village of our study is Haja under Kulei Panchayat of the Banapur Block of Khordha district in Odisha. Since the village is not a revenue village all the official records are shown under Harichandan pur Mauja/village. The Haja village has about 170 households and all belong to OBC categories under three sub castes. As per the official data Under the Harichandanpur village/Mauja a total number of 249 households having 444 persons have registered under this Act for Job card. Of these 444 persons, 314 are male and 130 are female. Only two people from this category are SC and all are from other category. So far as the demand for work is concerned the official data shows that all individuals in Kulei Panchayat have demanded at a time 6 or 12 days of work.
Between 2011-2016 two major projects have been sanctioned under MGNREGS; (i) renovation of Haja pond and (ii) renovation of Brahman Agula pond. The data on the government MGNREGA website provides very confusing numbers. As per the data available on the website a sum of Rs 3.5 lakh has been sanctioned for the renovation of Haja pond and another 3.5 lakh for Brahman Agul tank. The Consolidated payment statement available on the website shows a payment of Rs 1,30,902 for 979 days of work between 23 December 2011 to 02 August 2016. The expenditure incurred statement shows that a sum of Rs 1,36,031 have been spent for this work. Of which Rs 1, 30, 902 was spent for unskilled work, Rs 2,985 for skilled work and Rs 2,984 for materials. Thus a total of 186 persons were given work for 979 days. Work was done between May 2012 to June 2013 in which a total number of 979 work days were created and Rs 1, 30, 902 was paid at a rate of 126 and in 2012 and 143 in 2013.
At one place in the website we find for Brahman Agula pond a sum of Rs 1.7 lakh has been sanctioned. At another place we find the sanctioned money is Rs 3.5 lakh. On the website we also find two entries for the Brahman Agul; one in the name of Haja Brahmani Tank which was sanctioned in 2010-11, and the other one in the name Brahman Agula which is sanctioned in 2013-14 and also has a different code. From the work offered to worker for this project a total payment of Rs 2,19,240 have been done between April 4, 2016 to October 10, 2016 for 1260 days of work. A total number of 1542 work days have been offered to 76 people from 43 households. Of these 24 are female workers who have worked for 414 days of work. All the works have been demanded between April to June 2016. All workers have been paid at a rate of Rs 174 per day. Therefore, when we multiply the number of work days with wage rate we get a total payment of Rs 2, 68, 308 have been paid as wage. However, the muster roll shows that 1260 person days works have been done for which Rs 2, 19, 240 have been paid. All these figures show gross anomalies and does not show a clear picture in true sense how much money has been sanctioned to which project and how many people have been employed in which project.
The reality, however, is also very different. Not even a single person has got employment under the scheme. Then how did so much money has been released? Before, getting the answer let’s know the economic profile of the village. A large number of villagers from this village have migrated to gulf countries and thus receive good amount of remittances. The scarcity of labour in the village so also in the locality has led to rise in the wage rate and remains higher than the official wage rate of MGNRGEA. The available labourers in the village have huge demand for agriculture and construction works in and around the village. Therefore, there is no demand for the low paying MGNREGA work. At present the unskilled labourers earn Rs 300 per day. Therefore, under no circumstances these people would work in MGNREGA at a wage of Rs 174. As per the official data all the MGNREGA work has been carried out in the summer seasons. In the summer season the scarce labourers in the village face huge demand for construction works. Therefore, it is also difficult to engage them in MGNREGA work.
How did this project get implement? The young village leader who is basically the connection between the villagers, and sarpanch informed that this much money has come under MGNREGA to renovate the village pond. Villagers were called for a meeting and selected people were asked to assemble in half dried pond with spades for a photo session. After the photo session JCB machine was deployed to dig the pond. As the work was started just before the arrival of monsoon pond digging could not continue for long time. Villagers were informed that in the next season work will continue which never happened. The villagers were told by the young leader that the money was not sufficient for the work they have done and therefore some money should be given from the village fund to them for paying the JCB owner.
After the work all money came to the account of people in whose name job cards were issued. The job cards were issued in the name of auto drivers, educated village leaders who never do any unskilled work. The young leader with his team collects all the signature from the job card holders and withdraws the money to pay to the JCB owner. Nobody knows how much money was exactly paid to the JCB owner. The young leader keeps all job cards in his possession and does all the official work. No social audit has ever been done for the work carried out in the village. Therefore, from the legal perspective it looks irregularity but from the village perspective at least for the vested interest group it looks well justified. The villagers think without this manipulation nothing would have happened in the village. Therefore, it’s ok even if the village young leader takes swindles away some money.
Amarendra Das 