Appraisal of NREGA in the States of Meghalaya and Sikkim

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Appraisal of NREGA in the States of Meghalaya and
Sikkim

• Dr. B.Panda
• Indian Institute of Management Shillong

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Districts selected studied

• MEGHALAYA
• East Khasi Hills -II
• South Garo Hills-I
• West Garo Hills -I
• Ri Bhoi -II
• East Garo Hills--III

• SIKKIM
• North District-I
• East District-II
• South Districts-II

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METHODOLOGY

• In the first stage, districts were purposively
  selected with reference to the guidelines given
  by MRD in consultation with the concerned
  officers of the states.
• In the second stage, from each district, two(2)
  blocks were purposively selected on the basis of
  the twin criteria of progress and constraints.
• In the third stage, from each block, four GPs
  were selected from each block and from each GP
  one village was selected.
• In the fourth stage, from each selected village,
  one work was selected.

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METHODOLOGY Contd

• The whole exercise was undertaken in such a
  manner that of the 4 selected works in total from
  a block, three(3) were ongoing and one(1) work
  was completed.
• In the last stage, from each work, 10 workers
  were selected at random for administration of a
  structured questionnaire through personal
  interview.
• For Meghlaya, as the Panchayat system is not
  there, the implementation of the scheme is done
  through the formation of the Meghalaya Rural
  Employment Guarantee Scheme(MREGS).

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METHODOLOGY Contd

• The Area Employment Councils (AECs) formed under
  the provisions of MREGS are roughly the
  equivalents of the GPs and from each AEC one
  village and from each village one work was
  selected.
• To make the appraisal process comprehensive,
  four(4) stake holders were identified.
• Besides, the NREGA workers (stake holder I), the
  other stakeholders are the Panchayat officials,
  village officials, VEC functionaries etc.(stake
  holder II), third party(stake holder III) and the
  officers and officials at the district, and block
  levels (stake holder-4)

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Tools and Techniques

• Quantitative
• Questionnaire Survey for all the 4 stake holders.
• Statistical Analysis

• Qualitative
• Case Study
• Perceived observation
• Personal Interview and interaction
• Case and Situation analysis

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Findings-Meghalaya

• Awareness
• 40 of the AEC and VEC members and 90 of the
  wage seekers are not aware of the key provisions
  and procedures of the Act.
• Demand Process
• Registration was free and easy
• Job cards were given within 15 days of
  registration
• 78 got jobs within 15 days from the issue of job
  cards
• No minor in job cards
• All the job cards have photographs of the
  household members registered.

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Findings-Meghalaya Contd..

• Workprocess
• The VECs are regularly convened to select works
• 95 of the local people happy with the choice of
  works
• All the villages surveyed had only two approved
  shelf of projects ready to start.
• In all cases permissible works have been taken
  up.
• All the works taken up are usuful
• However, in 50 of the cases, the quality of work
  do not look satisfactory.

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Findings-Meghalaya Contd..

• Execution
• In all cases, the muster rolls are properly
  maintained.
• There is no evidence of contractors and middle
  men.
• In one site, there was an evidence of workers
  without job cards working
• In 80 of the cases the measurement of work is
  not done on time and they are also not being
  technically supervised regularly.
• In almost all cases, work site facilities are
  inadequate.

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Findings-Meghalaya Contd..

• Wage Payment
• Avearge amount of wages paid per day per labourer
  is Rupess 70.
• All the workers are able to earn the notified
  wages for agrl. Labouers.
• Men and women are paid the same wage rate
• 82 of the workers are paid their wages within 15
  days.
• In all cases, the muster roll is readout when
  wages are paid.

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Findings-Meghalaya Contd..

• Records
• Muster roll entries match with the job cards in
  all cases.
• Asset Register is not maintained
• Training and Staff
• Gram Rozgar Sewak is available for each VEC
• There is only one Technical assistant for the
  whole block.This leads to problems in supervision
  and measurement.
• In all places, GRS, VEC and AEC members have all
  been trained.

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Findings-Meghalaya Contd..

• Monitoring
• All the works have been inspected periodically by
  the block/district/state officials.
• The VEC which acts as VMC also monitors and
  certifys works completed.
• Social Audit
• Social Audit of 82 works have been done by NGOs
  like BRO.
• Grievance Redressal
• No complaint register is available at AEC or VEC
  Level

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Positive Impact

• Livelihood Diversification in Rural Areas (As
  told by all the workers and other stake holders)
• Financial and social empowerment of women.(69 of
  women work in NREGA). Further, in Khasi
  traditional societal arrangement, there is no
  place for the women in the village Durbars. Now
  because of NREGA, they can have minimum of 30
  representation in the VEC.
• Reduction in distress migration including
  migration of women folks because of high rate of
  divorce(reduction of 73 of the labour migration
  to adjustant towns)
• Ensuring of Environmental, Social and cultural
  sustainability.( Ex. works on terrace
  cultivation, creation of AEC and VEC and
  inclusion of women therein etc.)

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Positive Impact Contd..

• Creation of social capital and reduction in moral
  hazard in rural society( When workers work in the
  field, they share their sufferings, experience
  etc. with each other that create the element of
  sharing, caring, togetherness and fellow
  feeling.)
• Convergence. Provides and makes it imperative for
  line Departments like RD, Horticulture,
  Irrigation Flood Control to work together to
  maximise the linkage effect.

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Constraints

• Flow of funds in not normal. It is skewed towards
  the first part and finishing two months of the
  FY.
• Amount of 4 given as administrative cost is
  insufficient to employ technical people for
  measurement and supervision in the context of
  hilly and high cost economies like Meghalaya.
• Absence technical staff hampers quality
  certification, measurement of work and
  undertaking of MIS.
• Supervising officers like BDOs and Project
  Directors are overburdened with other works,
  thus, find it difficult to give time to NREGA.
• The actual focus, provisions and objectives of
  NREGA have not been understood and internalised
  by the different stake holders of the programme.

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Constraints Contd

• Lack of administrative and financial support to
  the different line officers of the block who have
  a positive role in the convergence of NREGA and
  efficient execution of work, affects their
  motivation.

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SIKKIMSample Selection Methodology
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Findings-Sikkim

• Awareness
• Most of the workers are aware of the provisions
  of the act but not aware of the comprehensive
  purpose of act.
• Every worker is aware of the fact that there is
  existence of vigilance committee, which mostly
  hears complaints (35), shares the information
  (20), and resolves conflicts (40).
• Every worker is aware of the information
  regarding the budget sanction to the village.
• Workers are assured of no corruption in NREGA
  work so far.
• Demand Process
• Registration was free and easy
• Job cards were given within 15 days of
  registration

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• 85 of the respondents agreed to the fact that
  the job card is issued within 15 days of their
  application. However, 55 of the workers are
  specifying their required demand of employment,
  whereas 40 of the workers dont specify.
• Half of the population are having alternate
  arrangements for their daily income. NREGA
  supplements their income when they have nothing
  to do.
• Gram panchayat does not guarantee the applicants
  regarding the fulfillment of their demand. This
  was verified when 80 of the respondents denied
  to a question that they dont receive any receipt
  from gram-panchayat regarding their job demand.
  However, all of them get around 100 days of
  employment per year.

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• All the workers have to work 8 hrs per day.
• It has been found that 35 of the respondents
  told that they have shades in the work place.
  However, 65 of the respondents opined that there
  is no availability of shade, first-aid kit,
  drinking water, and child care facility.
• All the workers are getting employment
  opportunity within maximum 5 km from their
  village.
• However, there is a clear division of opinions
  regarding the demand of unemployed people for
  NREGA work. 50 of the respondents agreed that
  all the unemployed people are asking for job card
  and they are getting it.

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Findings-Sikkim Contd..

• Work Process
• 95 of the local people happy with the choice of
  works
• All the works taken up are useful
• Quality of work is good.
• There is no discrimination of wage rate among
  male and female workers.
• The number of male workers is less than number of
  female workers in NREGA works.
• Most of the NREGA work includes plantation, road
  connectivity, afforestation, and irrigation.
• All the payments are made through banks or post
  offices.
• 95 of the workers agreed that the banks and post
  office is present within 5 km from their village.

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Findings-Sikkim Contd..

• 65 of the people have joint account in bank or
  post offices with husband or wife as the
  co-signatory.
• Workers agreed that they have to wait for more
  than 15 days for getting the payment.
• 90 of the workers are happy with the bank
  process and procedures.

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Findings-Sikkim Contd..

• Execution
• In all cases, the muster rolls are properly
  maintained.
• There is no evidence of contractors and middle
  men.
• In most of the cases the measurement of work is
  not done on time and they are also not being
  technically supervised regularly.
• 100 of the workers are facing the problem of
  long delay in the payments.
• 60 of the people say that there is no indication
  of payment details in the muster roll.

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Findings-Sikkim Contd..

• Chain Effect
• 90 of the workers says that they share various
  information regarding their personal and social
  life among their fellow workers as they gather
  together at one place in NREGA work.
• 45 of the people agreed that they are able to
  purchase new assets for their home because of
  working in NREGA.
• All of them agreed that they are able to
  organize better in their life after getting
  employment in NREGA.
• All the women workers agreed that they share
  their health related information among their
  fellow workers and were able to derive better
  solution for that.

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Findings-Sikkim Contd..

• Socio-economic Profile
• 50 of the workers have no radio.
• 20 of the people have television in their home.
• 55 of the workers have mobile connection.
• Records
• Muster roll entries match with the job cards in
  all cases.
• Asset Register is maintained
• Training and Staff
• Gram Rozgar Sewak is available for each VEC

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Case Study Summary

• Case of Duga Block
• Case of Khamdong Block

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• Best Practices
• Development of minor irrigation channels for
  irrigation purposes in public area.
• Rejuvenation of private orange orchards for
  enhanced productivity.
• Land development for creation of public physical
  platform for multipurpose use like playground,
  public functions, market place, etc.
• Land development through terracing.
• Creation of new orange orchards by putting new
  orange plants in the old orchards.
• Development of market place for a common platform
  for buying and selling of commodities.

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Innovations

• Fusion of employment generation and technical,
  social and financial empowerment of villagers.
• Convergence among various line departments of
  administration for the purpose of socio-economic
  development.
• Community feeling is created among the villagers
  as they work together for the direct benefit of
  their fellow villagers.
• Indirect way of externalization of benefits
  through asset developments in the private
  properties.
• Creation of social cohesion and social capital.

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Innovations Contd

• Avoiding tragedy of commons dilemma.
• Cultural, social and environmental
  sustainability.
• Prevention of soil erosion and enhancing land
  stability through terracing which enhances
  environmental sustainability.
• Creation of common market place which enhances
  the salability of commodities which reduces the
  middle-men interference and increases the
  profitability which in turn leads to financial
  sustainability.
• The market place also attracts tourists which
  promotes tourism and revenue generation from
  tourism.

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• Constraints
• Lack of administrative financial support to the
  different line officers of the block who have a
  positive role in the efficient execution of work,
  which sometimes affects their motivation.
• Non-discrimination in the wage rate between men
  and women creates a negative feeling among men in
  related to the type of work where the work
  involves hard physical effort, which is mostly
  done by men.

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• Lack of technical expertise in the planning and
  executing the work sometimes reduces the
  technical quality of the work.
• The supervision of NREGA works also found not
  well managed because of the lack of proper
  training of the supervisor.
• The stakeholders are not aware of the full and
  comprehensive objective of NREGA, i.e. why-, what
  for- NREGA, which is needed to be understood by
  them for success of the scheme in long-term
  future.

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• Lack of synergy among various line departments of
  NREGA does not lead to the maximization of
  convergence impact.

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Recommendations and Suggestions

• Some amount of the expenses should be contributed
  from owner, in cases of NREGA work undertaken in
  private property.

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• However, ultimate long-term success of NREGA lies
  in creating the required economic, social, and
  environmental empowerment and social capital in
  the rural society so that it graduates from one
  stage of development to next higher stage in
  line with Stage Theory of Development.
• Hence, each and every stakeholder of NREGA should
  be trained in this theory and be acquainted with
  its practice.

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• There should be proper planning at the block
  level with respect to NREGA works so that
  convergence among various line departments is
  achieved.
• As it was observed that lack of administrative
  and financial support is the major constraint for
  motivation of line officers, there should be
  proper facility and incentive to be provided by
  the block-administration that will motivate the
  line officers towards achieving convergence.

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• The selection of workers can be made flexible,
  which can be decided in the gram-sabha/VEC, to
  ensure proper match between the type of work and
  assignment of work to male and female workers.
• The GRS or work supervisors should be imparted
  basic technical training in addition to the work
  supervision training for ensuring the technical
  quality of the work supervised.

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Out-of-Box Finding

• Role of Leadership The leadership quality of
  BDOs was the major factor for the successful
  implementation of NREGA work. Following are the
  major leadership characteristics found in the
  BDOs of studied blocks, which made all the
  difference to their work.
• Punctuality Motivating PleasantPersonality
• Good Communication Skill and rapo-building
• Thinking out-of-the box Visionary Commitment
  Transparency

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• Some of the following working styles of the BDOs
  and related line officers observed during the
  study, are also responsible for the successful
  implementation of NREGA work, beyond just
  employment generation.
• Identify themselves with the community.
• Maintain good communication with external and
  internal stakeholders and also with the
  stakeholders of different administrative
  hierarchy.
• Working with passion.
• Building a team spirit among the various line
  officers and related implementing stakeholders.
• We also observed the passion of all government
  officials in the above block hierarchy, in regard
  to the NREGA work and socio-economic development,
  which also adds to the success of NREGA work at
  the bottom level.

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Future Strategy

• Thinking, Planning ,Debating and concretizing on
  NREGA-NEXT so that rural development as
  practiced moves on to the next stage of
  development.