Mgnrega A Source of Livelihood

Background:

MGNREGS is taken as an entry point. It was a conscious decision to anchor the work on one issues which affected most of the population and which gave some tangible result. The idea was to achieve successes to generate faith in the process and keep motivated.

Why MGNREGA as an entry point: 

• MGNERGS was not a scheme by the government; rather it was back by the Act. Thus. More than a scheme it still has a validity as an act.
• It touches all marginalized, oppressed and poor households in the village.
• It addresses a common concern of all the population in any part of rural india.
• It has the scope to build a common identity.
• Scope for employment during agriculture lean period.
• Scope for reduction of migration and improve the quality of life.
• It has the scope to engage with the government as well as pressurize it for attaining legitimate entitlements.
• The end entitlement is money which is tangible and provides support to other requirements of the household like education and health.
• It has the scope to develop community and individual assets like land, forests and management of water sources.
• It has the potential to bring about a paradigm shift in the living conditions of the poorest family in society.

Situation of MGNREGA during our Intervention:

In the beginning, the situation was quite worse in the rural areas. People were totally ignorant of their basic rights and entitlements. They were being misdirected by the local contractors and other fraudulent elements. The major problem was that thefinancial situation was very poor and thus people used to migrate to other areas for job. These indicators were not only small gaps within the mechanics of deliverance, but at large the key socio-cultural issues within the area, which led to many behavioral aspects among the target population. After indicator identification, it was decided to initially take up the question of MGNREGA for which
OSM provided several rounds of capacity building trainings for the Jansathi on different approaches of development, building conceptual clarity on role of people’s collective to bring about social change, how to affirm equal rights guaranteed by the constitution and how to place the demand for work before various authorities and officials. Similarly, capacity building and training to the Coordinators on perspective building on constitutional rights and different government schemes and entitlements were also provided.Then we started the process of engaging with the local administration in terms of creating the demand flow from below through the village collectives.

On Comparing, The MGNREGA progress from 2009-10 to 2017-18, we are finding;

1. More families are applying for work under MGNREGA from 2009-10 to 2017-18
2. In 2009-10, 67000 household were provided work, in 2015-16, 295574 number of household were provided work, i.e. 228574 more number of Household were provided MGNREGA Work.
3. In 2016-17, 368123 number of household were provided MGNREGA work which is 301123 more than 2009-10 data and in 2017-18 till 18 September 2017 184691 Household were provided with work in MGNREGA which is more 117691 in number than 2009-10.
4. Along with this there is increase in number of person days from 2009-10 to 2016-17.

Impact of MGNREGA 

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is considered as a “Silver Bullet” for eradicating rural poverty and unemployment by generating demand for productive labor force in villages. It provided an alternative source of livelihood which had an impact on;

• Reducing migration
• Restricting child labor
• Alleviating poverty
• Making villages self-sustaining through creation of productive assets such as road construction, cleaning up of water tanks, soil and water conservation work, etc.

Due to this reason, this Act is also considered as the largest anti-poverty program in the world.

Other Salient Features are as follows:

1. People start making their own village micro plan to mobilize the productive assets in the villages
2. They are also ensuring that these plans would also get sanctioned in palli and gram Sabha’s.
3. We had sorted out almost all payment related issues
4. The extent of corruption in MGNREGA related works has almost reduced in our operational zones.
5. Women participation increased to 40% in generating total person days in our operational districts, comparative to state data – 37 % average women participation in MGNREGA.
6. Support and recognition from Ministry of Rural development in leveraging MGNREGA through people’s collective.
7. Participation of Sangathan leader/ Community leader with local, state and central Ministry in policy level meetings and discussions.
8. Enhancement of person days.

A Step Ahead to streamline the late payment issue and wage rate of MGNREGA 

The wage rate of MGNREGA work was 164/- rupee per day. In May 2016, a post card Campaign was carried out in 8 districts in Odisha including Nayagrah, Koraput, Kandhmal, Boudh, Gajapati, Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Malkangiri to increase the wage rate of MGNREGA.

In this campaign a letter of demand has been posted by the PRI members to the Chief Minster to increase the wage rate rupee 300/- per day.

The campaign was carried out from May 2016 to June 2016 and salient highlights of the campaign area as follows;

• Total 212161 number of post cards were sent with an objective to resolve the problem of late payment and requesting an increase in wage rate, which hadan impact over the government department, especially on late payment issue.
• Late payment issues were a major concern for the common people, though they worked hard but they had to wait for 2-3 months to get their payment which was resolved after this campaign.
• A proper system came into place by government to resolve the late payment issue.
• The Government increased the wage rate from Rupees 164/- to Rupees 174/- per day