The MGNREGS has high potentials to curb distress migration and poverty in a drought prone district like Nuapada. However, lack of proper implementation in the district has rendered the flagship scheme ineffective.
In places like Sunabeda, where the people live amid fear from the Maoists and the security forces, the problems are galore when the administration fails in its duty to implement the job-oriented scheme in a proper way.
Sunabeda and Soseng gram panchayats with more than 10,000 population are situated in Sunabeda wildlife sanctuary, 3000 feet above the sea level. located at a distance of 45 km from the block headquarters Komna, the area is neglected in all respects. The administration in spite of people’s repeated grievance does not wake up to assure basic services, which affects the lives of women and children more.
“Basic services like health and nutrition programmes elude us forever. In the past, the officials took the plea of Maoists for such neglects. But what the administration is doing now after the camping of the police forceIJ We supported the administration and the police against the Maoists at the cost of our lives but ended up falling the Maoists’ target. That resulted in a restriction of our entry into the forest for collection of mahua flowers and we lost our basic source of livelihood. Why is not the Government compensating our loss though employment generationIJ” asked the villagers. Collection of kendu leaves has also been stopped after the declaration of the area as a wild life sanctuary.
The district administration in last couple of years has started works under NREGS in almost all the villages of the two Panchayats but wage payments have been delayed. Discussions with people revealed that hundreds of labourers who worked in such projects had not received their wages. A few of them had died and some others had lost hope of getting their dues.
As many as 73 labourers who have worked in Majhi Munda tank improvement project initiated in Junapani village about a year ago have not yet received their full payment. “We were not willing to work for NREGS due to such delay but were forced when the Komna BDO and the Executive Officer of our panchayat threatened us that if we did not work, our name would appear in the well off peoples’ list,” said the villagers.
“They had also assured us of regular weekly payment at the rate of Rs456 per Gaddi (100 sqft of earth work) but now they have changed their mind and reduced the amount to Rs275,” said Jayantilal Chhatria, one of the labourers. Jayanti and his group members have dug 15 Gaddis but have not received any payment till now.
Rupdhar Sahu with his wife and daughter has worked in a tank improvement project in Sunabeda for more than a month to complete 60 Gaddis. “Our due is about Rs27,000, but they have paid us only Rs9, 000,”said Raibati, wife of Rupdhar. Raibati’s problem is a little more complex. She was enthusiastic when she heard that the rate per Gaddi would be Rs456 and there would be weekly payment. “We were planning for the education of our children with the money, but when we paid Rs1,500 for hiring of three pass books and in addition incurred Rs300 each towards the cost of food and fuel for the bikes of the account holders, our hopes shattered, expressed Raibati.
Rupdhar had to run to the bank at Michhapali, 30 km far from Sunabeda for three times to inquire whether the amount has been transferred by the block to the accounts.
Resentment within the labourers against the NREGS in different villages is clearly marked. This correspondent visited nine projects of two panchayats and the situation is same everywhere. Interesting facts come out when the field situation is compared to the information available in the official web site of NREGA. When the works in some of the projects have already been completed years ago, the web information shows that they have not been started. The road improvement work from Salepada village to Turaamb has been completed in 2013-14, but the official record shows that the work has not been started yet. More than 25 labourers, including 18 women, are waiting for their wages for last three years. likewise, the tank work of Dhekunpen done two years ago figure in the website as a work initiated in January 2016. The people were motivated to work in this tank project again this year with the assurance that, some wages of the previous work would be adjusted. “We dug earth in an area of 150 feet by 150 feet with four feet depth in the first phase and one foot more this year, but have not received a single rupee,” lamented Ghasiram Rout of Dhekunpen.
The people, however, cannot claim their dues legally as there is no official record to show that they have worked in the project. None of them has gone through the official procedure of job demand. In each village, the attendance has been maintained in a small note book which would be copied to the muster roll (MR) after the adoption of official procedures like job demand and intimation in form C 1 and C 2 etc.
“Due to drought this year, the people badly need job and NREGS is the only hope now, but the Government should assure the payment of wage in time,” said ex-sarpanch of Sunabeda Narad Chhatria.