Rozgar Sutra - National Rural Employment Guarantee Act

lifeline sutra
for millions...

lifeline sutra
for millions...

Contents
2
Introduction 2
Voices from the field
Andhra Pradesh 4
Assam 10
Bihar 16
Chhattisgarh 20
Haryana 26
Himachal Pradesh 30
Karnataka 34
Kerala 40
Madhya Pradesh 44
Orissa 50
Punjab 54
Rajasthan 58
Tamil Nadu 62
Tripura 70
Uttar Pradesh 78
West Bengal 82

Mahatma Gandhi
National Rural
Employment
Guarantee Act
Introduction
he Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
Guarantee Act, with its legal framework and rights-
Tby
based approach, aims at enhancing livelihood security
providing upto one hundred days of guaranteed wage
employment in a financial year to every rural household
whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
The Act is currently being implemented in 619 rural districts
of the country.
Mahatma Gandhi NREGA is the first ever law
internationally that guarantees wage employment at an
unprecedented scale. The primary objective of the Act is
augmenting wage employment. The auxiliary objective is
strengthening natural resource management through works
that address causes of chronic poverty like drought,
deforestation and soil erosion and thus encourage sustainable
development.
Mahatma Gandhi NREGA has been a vehicle for inclusive
growth and the marginalized sections of society have high
percentage of participation under the Act. The participation
rate of Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) in
FY 2009-10 is 52 %. The states with high SC participation are
Uttar Pradesh (53%), Tamil Nadu (56%), Bihar (46%),
Haryana (56%), Punjab (78%). The states with high ST
participation are Madhya Pradesh (43%), Jharkhand (44%),
Sikkim (44%), Chhattisgarh (38%) and all North East States.
Women participation is higher than the mandated 33%. In the
current year the women participation is 50 %.
The Act has augmented household income, such that the
average wage rate has increased from Rs. 65 in FY 2006-07 to
Rs. 4050 in FY 2008-09. Post-MGNREGA, there has been a
revision of minimum wages across the country.
In order to increase transparency and bring the rural poor
under the organized banking sector and credit system,
agencies for wage payment are being separated from
implementing agencies through accounts-based wage
payment. Initial experiments in the use of smart cards and
biometric signatures for wage payment to MGNREGA
workers in remote villages are being supported.
An Ombudsman for effective grievance redressal is being
instituted for each district. Ombudsman will be an agency
independent of the central or state government. The
Ombudsman will receive complaints from NREGA workers
and others on any matter consider such complaints and
facilitate their disposal in accordance with law. The
Ombudsman will be appointed by the State Government on
the recommendation of the selection committee. Summary
report of cases disposed by Ombudsman will be reported to
the State Council and will also form part of the Annual
Report to be placed in the Legislative Assembly.
To build on the current programme implementation and to
leverage Mahatma Gandhi NREGA for sustainable
development the Ministry has started pilot projects in
Rajasthan. These initiatives include training and skill
building for NREGA workers, basic literacy, computer and
financial literacy, facilitating wage payment through business
correspondent mode.
In view of the inter-sectorality of NREGA, the need to create
durable assets and improve livelihood security and the
common target groups of certain development programmes
with NREGA, taken up convergence pilots in 115 districts
and 23 states across India.
1 2

Voices from
the FIELD
Andhra Pradesh
3 4

nnemmagaripalle Gram Panchayat is located
in Somala Mandal of Chittoor district,
Ageographical
Andhra Pradesh. Out of 3776 acres of
area in the panchayat, 788 acres are
barren & uncultivable lands. The population of Gram
Panchayat is 2688, out of which 467 are SCs and 241
are STs as per 2001 population census. Earlier, due to
drought conditions, scanty rainfall and insufficient
agriculture labour, the people used to migrate to other
parts of the district. On introduction of NREGS in
the Village, 375 acres of vacant fallow and waste lands
has been brought under productive cultivation by
taking up mango plantation in the last 3 years covering
145 farmers. 35 SC farmers and 11 ST farmers also got
benefited covering 110 acres and 33 acres of mango
plantation under the scheme respectively.
NREGS, A BOON FOR THE PEOPLE
IN DROUGHT AFFECTED AREAS
By taking up NREGS works in their own lands, they
got the means to meet livelihood needs besides making
their lands productive 62.5 lakhs has been disbursed as
wages to 1,045 labourers in this village. NREGS has
shown the way for sustainable livelihood by taking up
Horticulture Plantation. The expected moneyflow in
the hands of these farmers from mango after a year is
Rs.30 lakhs and Rs.60 lakhs in another 4/5 years. This
assured income with the help of NREGS has totally
stopped migration and reduced poverty. Farmers have
also dug farm ponds (to water mango plants and raise
some vegetable crops) and raised intercrops like
groundnut with the support of NREGS, which means
this is an additional source of income from NREGS.
I Rajanna belong to scheduled caste community.
The uncultivated land of 2 acres was converted into
fertile land and mango plantation was taken up with
the support extended under NREGS. I am living in
the hut in the field near the Farm Pond dug under
NREGS. I have been watering the plants from Farm
Pond and also earning wages through the works
taken up in our Panchayat. This programme
enabled me to get sustainable livelihood. I express
my heart felt gratitude to the officials who are
successfully implementing the programme. It is a
priceless boon to my life.
I, G.Krishnappa resident of Vetoor Village
of Annemmagaripalle GP belong to Scheduled
Caste Community. I have been assigned the land
by government, as I had no money the barren land
could not be converted into arable land. With the
financial support extended under NREGS, I have
planted mango plants in 4 acres of land and dug
Farm Pond. My self and my wife earned
Rs.7,500/- as wages through this scheme by doing
work in my field. With this money I could
organize my daughters wedding.
5 6

siripurapu
Krishnamma
Happy with
Equal wage
Name: siripurapu Krishnamma
Village: Ambativalasa
Mandal: Bondapalli
I belong to Ambativalasa village of Vizianagaram District (AP). I belong a poor family and all the
members of the House holds need to go for work to get our bread. Earlier when I attend work in
agriculture operations, I used get paid only Rs 40/- per day where I have to work for whole day
With the introduction of the scheme, my family life has changed. During the current year,
members of my House Hold worked for 100 days and earned Rs.9000/-.
With this money we have purchased a Milching Cow. By selling the milk we could able to add
some extra amount to our family income. Now we are happy, more over I get Rs.100/-per day
from the work on par with men folk. I thank the scheme for providing us equal wages with out
gender discrimination.
Name: Gorli Pydithalli
Village: Pothanapalli
Mandal: Srungavarapukota
District: Vizianagaram
Pydithalli lives in pothampalli village of Vizianagaram with his wife yerrayamma. They belong to
scheduled tribe, yeruka community.
Pydithalli and his wife's traditional occupation is collecting bamboo from the near by forest,
making bamboo baskets, partitions, mats and selling them in a near by market. Pydithalli says,
even though my wife and I used to have very tough time in collecting bamboo, making articles of
bamboo and selling is very different. Many times we could not sell even single product to meet our
daily needs.
Even then, we sticked to our occupation for the year 2006, when the scheme was introduced, like
many other co-villagers, we too just ignored to attend the works allotted under the scheme.
However, later I learned from my neighbours that they are earning Rs. 600 per week as wages.
Then both of us registered our names for the Job Card.Both of us are earning equal wages, and
during leisure time we do our traditional work which also adds some extra income for both of us.
Because of the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA we were able to clear our debt. Now we have LIC
Policy and are paying Rs.2, 200/- per annum. We have also joined in AgriGold and saving Rs.
10/- per day. My wife is the member in DWCRA group and has regular savings in the group.
A ray of
Hope
7 8

Agriculture labour
to Cultivation
Koyya
Ramayamma
am Koyya. Ramayamma living in Kottacherukupalli village in Bogapurma Mandal of
Vizianagaram district along with my husband Narasimhulu and other 8 family members. We
Iwere agricultural laborers prior to the launching of NREGS and with limited seasonal work
we had suffered a lot for food, proper shelter clothing and proper medication.
Following the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi NREGA, the 8 elder members of the family
got enrolled for wage employment. Then onwards all of us are continuously attending the work in
our Panchayat.
At present with the steady wage employment, we are able to meet all our family needs happily with
out approaching money lenders. We have repaid the loans for marriage of daughter, as well as for
house construction.
With the wage earnings from the scheme, Ramana, my first son passed out Intermediate Course
with and he will pursue his further studies. My second son Srinu, completed his Computer Course
with. So we feel their future is to some extent secured.
Further, my family members and began Cultivating the land. Together we are very happy for the
thing that we have come out of a situation on extreme poverty.
Koyya. Ramayamma
Assam
9 10

his is a unique intervention on privately owned
land in village Kayathapara of Boitamari
Tblock. The project has been converged with
SGSY and KVK and now NREGA.
The village has three SHGs, two of males and one of
females. There are 350 nurseries in the village of which
29 are supported by KVK under SGSY Scheme. The
major nodal SHG is Kayathapara Suniyojan Gut.
There is a revolving fund of Rs 25,000 of which Rs
10,000 is Government subsidy and Rs 15,000 is bank
loan. The SHGs have taken an IGA loan of Rs 2.44
lakhs from SGSY and a subsidy of Rs 25,000. the
interventions have been converged into SGSY and
Hariyali being implemented by Soil Conservation
Department. The SHGs have developed nurseries for
nearly 500 species major being Mango, Jackfruit,
Orange, Arecanut, Coconut, indigenous and Hybrid
Flowers, Bahera, Amla, Tejpaat, Teak, Chir Pine etc.
Nurseries on Private
Land
The farmers are developing his nursery on their own
land and under convergence they are getting technical
support from KVK, Forest Department. The KVK has
submitted a new action plan to the Project Director for
convergence with NREGA for Rs 10,00,000 to create
further nurseries for horticultural and ornamental
plants of hybrid varieties in two hectares of land with
60 % as wage cost. The project has been approved by
Gram Panchayat. A building has been created for
storage and marketing with SGSY fund with the
budget of five lakhs. This is indeed an excellent model
where the interventions are made on private land with
the land owner himself being beneficiary as a wage
earner under NREGA and in the process receiving a
sustainable asset for continuous income in the future
along with training and capacity building in a highly
specialized field. The village has become a hub for
saplings being purchased by the people of North
East region.
he district has innovatively adopted a local
technology (Bangla Bhatta) for production of
Tbricks by NREGS job card holders. These
bricks are used for road construction as also for other
construction work under NREGA. The GPs or the
implementing agency hires land near the road sides
and inducts NREGA job card holders for brick
making. These bricks cost Rs. 2.75 per bricks
compared to Rs. 5 in the open market for similar
quality. At the worksite in village Tengam in
Basudoibam GP of Ghilamara block around 50
workers manufactured the bricks. There was a target of
making 1.8 lakhs bricks within 15 days time.
Sh. S. Brajen Barpatro is a happy man with this
opportunity. He says that it is an instantly available
Bangla Bhatta
employment opportunity within walking distance. He
and his other relatives have already enjoyed about 20
mandays from this work on this site.
Similarly, Sh. Chandan Patro was also in favour of this
work. He says that it is not only providing instant
employment to him but also generating brick making
skill to the otherwise unskilled workers. Mr. Chandan
Patro can make about 200 bricks a day now which
elsewhere will fetch him about Rs. 200 per day.
However, he still wants to continue with NREGA
work due to its availability in immediate proximity.
This is certainly a highly innovative intervention and
deserves recommendation for replication in other
places also.
11 12

NREGA gives fresh lease of life
to Assam villages
he National Rural Employment Guarantee
Scheme (NREGA) launched by the Centre
Thas given a fillip to rural development and
employment opportunities in many parts of the
country.
The construction of a new `pucca road' is changing the
lives of villagers in Digaru, a tribal village in the
Dimoria Block of Assam. The workers, a majority of
them women, have been given employment under
NREGA.
Each worker earns 100 rupees per day. The villagers
are pleased with the double benefit- infrastructure
development in their villages and employment for the
people.
NREGA beneficiaries felt that due to the scheme the
villagers have come forward to work and got the work
in the village itself.
Residents of Digaru are happy about the road, saying
it makes the transport easy.
For the youths, it is a good initiative
and at the same time the road
connectivity of the place will be
developed. This road will bring
development and prosperity to
villagers, felt Babul Tanti a local
youth.
Source: www.thaindian.com
Assam to use biometric cards for
wage disbursement under NREGA
he Assam Government has decided to use
biometric card system, one of the latest tools
Tof Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) for disbursement of wage under the
NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee
Act)'s scheme implementation. Thus, Assam would be
the second state in the country after Andhra Pradesh to
use biometric card system' for wage disbursement
under NREGA implementation.
Assam Panchayat and Rural Development minister
Chandan Brahma disclosed this here on Tuesday.
According to him, in view of huge size of the NREGA
programme it is necessary to make best use of latest
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
and the facility would help in ensuring effective
implementation and proper management of the
Programme but will also bring transparency and
thereby credibility.
"Through this system the job card holders will be able
to receive their money without hassle in their own
Gaon Panchayat", said Brahma. The scheme would be
operational from January next.
The Bio-Metric ATM is equipped with biometric
sensor which has finger print authentications as a
standard feature and it is possible for rural people to
use just thumb impression on a touch screen which
will allow the beneficiaries to withdraw their week's
wages. The ATM accepts fingerprint as the means of
authentication instead of PIN numbers only as used by
other ATMs.
Business correspondent of banks would be responsible
for executing of the scheme in presence of head of
Gaon Panchayat. The dept has tied up with State Bank
of India, Axix Bank and Assam Gramin Vikas Bank (a
rural bank) for issuing Biometric Card and
disbursement of wages under NREGA scheme.
The state Govt. would have to pay 2 per cent service
tax for implementation of the biometric card.
Brahma informed that the state Panchayat and Rural
Development Dept. had issued 34 lakhs job cards
among rural households. In the current financial year,
up to October, 378.03 lakhs person days were created
for implementation of various schemes of rural
development under NREGA in Assam.
Source: www.topnews.net
13 14

he dept has also decided to increase the daily
wage rate of job cardholders under NREGA
T(National Rural Employment Guarantee Act)
from Rs 80 to Rs 100. it would be effective from
December 2. Assam Panchayat and Rural
Development minister Chandan Brahma has
announced this here on Tuesday.
Brahma claimed that the implementation of NREGA
has improved over the years. "We spent Rs 950 crores
on NREGA in the year 2008-09, for this year
Government of India has allotted Rs 1361 crore which
we hope to spent within this fiscal year", added the
Assam Panchayat & Rural Develop Minister.
Bihar
15 16

Rural jobs scheme gets a green touch in Bihar
ere's one place where the rural jobs scheme is
scripting a green success story. Around 60,000
Hpeople in Bihar's Tirhut division are busy looking
after 12 million plants and are being paid for it.
"More than 60,000 people, mostly the poorest of the poor,
are looking after 1.2 crore plants every day in the Tirhut
division comprising half a dozen districts and earning
wages for it under the NREGA.
The NREGA is the central government's flagship National
Rural Employment Guarantee Act to provide jobs to the
rural poor.
Raju is the man behind this successful experiment that
began in August. He says he managed to engage a large
number of people for planting fruit-bearing as well as other
trees by linking it to their livelihood.
"I mobilised people by linking plantation with
employment," Raju said.
He said tree plantation was still going on in the division.
"Our target is to grow three crore plants in the area by
March next year," he said.
He is already working on a plan to plant bamboo along the
280-km long Gandak project embankment from
Valmikinagar to Vaishali district. "So far, more than
100,000 bamboo saplings have been planted in West
Champaran district," he said.
According to him, bamboo plantation is the best way to
protect embankments during floods. Raju, who has studied
agriculture, said there was no shortage of funds to go ahead
with the plantation drive.
Impressed by Raju's work, the National Institute of
Administrative Research, run under the Lal Bahadur
Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie,
has recommended that other states emulate the practice of
massive plantation of fruit trees and bamboo under the
NREGA.
The institute has decided to discuss the concept at a
workshop to be held at Bhubaneswar, Orissa, in the first
week of January.
A.S. Khullar, a professor of the institute, in a circular to the
state government said families should be engaged as 'vanposhaks'
(plant protectors) against wages paid under the
NREGA.
"A researcher of the institute during his field visit found
Raju's concept linking social forestry to the NREGA an
effective way to check soil erosion and encourage agrobased
industry," said an official in the Bihar rural
development department.
Source: www.jansamachar.net
17 18

Chhattisgarh
19 20

Withdrawal Form-Small feature
Big Impact
ayment of wages under NREGA through
banks & post offices has revolutionized the
Pprocess of wage payment in the country. The
transparency brought about has not only led to
reduction in corruption but indirectly it has also led to
tremendous financial & social empowerment of
people & more so of women.
But the payment through post offices has also led to
some delays as the post offices were suddenly crowded
with wage seekers in huge numbers. The post offices
were not prepared for such high influx with their
minimal staff & infrastructure. The labourers were
subjected to delay in not only long queues but were
also exploited by touts who fleeced them for providing
the withdrawal forms & also filling it. The illiterate
labourers were very often subjected to such monetary
exploitation.
District Administration of Raipur in Chhattisgarh
found it a very nasty practice & tried to take lot of steps
to curtail it. A small effort with big impact in this
direction was issuance of withdrawal form along with
wageslip to the labourer by the block office itself.
The wage slip generated after the wage list acted as a
voucher & was given to the labourers even earlier but
now along with the wage slip the labourer is also given
a pre-printed withdrawal form approved by the post
office. The labourer is now able to get the withdrawal
form in advance and can get it filled in the village itself.
The wage slip generated along with the withdrawal
form also has the tollfree number -1077 of district
citizen helpline printed on it. It also has the number of
days the labourer had already worked & number of
days pending.
Thus, this small slip (withdrawal form) not only helped
curtailing delay in post offices to some extent but also
prevented the labourers from exploitation & cheating
by touts sitting outside post offices.
he village Banjugani is a very interior village of
Janpad Panchayat, Kondagaon. The resident
Tof village are very poor and the livelihood is
dependent on forest produce. They use to collect
forest produce and sell it in the haat to money lenders
and received very
less money which
was not sufficient
for the family.
During the initial
phase of NREGA
implementation
t h e awa r e n e s s
m ove m ent has
moved in complete
district including
Banjugani. Due to poor education people were afraid
to register under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA. The
continuous effort of NREGA team resulted good
registration by telling them that by collecting forest
Rural Connectivity
produce one cannot receive more than Rs. 20-25
perday where as in NREGA you will get minimum
wages of government along with the guarantee of 100
days job in a year. Currently the registered members
are 766 of 248 families.
In past the convenient road for village was damaged to
a great extent and in rainy season the village is
unapproachable and water accumulates in many
places. People were
not able to reach to
the market. The
villager's priority was
rural connectivity
which was approved
in gram sabha. Under
the NREGA for rural
connectivity a first
class road of Rs. 05.76
lakhs was sanctioned
and the laborers worked on road by establishing the
new path in many ways.
Children started going for
higher education.
The NREGA is making a
sustainable change in
Bastar district by creating
basic rural infrastructure
along with availability of
100 days guaranteed job
for a family. Other than
employment & wages the 2196.81 Kms of WBM,
second class & CC roads connected to the people of
1179 habitants with the help of 3460 works. The
expenditure in rural connectivity is 17132.11 lakh
(49.42%). The choice of works seeks to address the
causes of chronic poverty such as drought,
deforestation and soil erosion. Effectively
implemented, the employment generated under the
Act has the potential of transforming the people from
the clutches of poverty.
21 22

Convergence with NREGA
he Village Chapka, in Janpad Bastar district Bastar
is enriched with natural water resources. Chapka is
Ta part of Mili watershed Nandpura. The
community was not able to use this water for any purpose
due to two reasons firstly the water was unhygienic and
secondly the natural
source was too muddy
to reach, thereby huge
amount of water got
wasted every year.
The initial problem of
identifying the exact
point of water spring,
due to very muddy
area the community
decided to help WDC
in that aspect. The point has been identified within 15 days
and immediately a well like structure (Jal Kund) was
prepared along the boundary of water spot. Likewise three
major points were finalized. The underground cement
pipe line were extended up to one place near a temple by
allowing the water of
all the three Jal Kund
through one pipe line.
The water of this jal
kund is used in two
ways, primarily the
water is used as a
drinking water and
o t h e r d a i l y u s e
purpose. The other
part of water is being used for development of nursery
which includes various types of plants. The water comes
out continuously throughout the year. The irrigation for
nursery plant is very easy and effective. The facility of
irrigation does require neither electricity nor any external
power source.
In last few years the development of nursery is being
implemented as convergence with NREGA. The major
plants developed by nursery are Ratanjot, Subabool,
Arjuna, acasia auricularis, acasia mangium, Cashew etc.
he registered labour of village Chapka earned
almost Rs. 13.50 lakh by working in nursery &
Tplantation work in financial year 2009-10. In
nursery work 751 registered labour worked and out of
which the 667 were women labour. In village Chapka the
entire plantation covered
61.92 hectare with the
Cashew, Arjuna & Acasia
mangium and the asset
value of this plantation and
its seed etc as almost Rs.
49.00 Lakhs in coming
03-05 years.
23 24

CALL 1077 - CITIZEN HELPLINE
rievance redressal is a very crucial
component to a scheme of such large
Gmagnitude as NREGA. Laboures working
under NREGA toil hard for their wages and often get
disillusioned when their wage are not paid in time.
This untimely payment of wages resultant
dissatisfaction can be a huge road block in the success
of the scheme.
To avoid such displeasure and to ensure timely wages
of payment, district administration of Raipur in
Chhattisgarh launched its toll free helpline service
1077.Under this service people can register their
complaint to the operator. The operator enters their
complaint in prescribed format and gives the
complainant a token number for future reference. The
database of the software ensured that the complaint
registered is passed on to the concerned program
officer, block development officer and concerned
engineer through sms, email and phone call. If the
delay is due to non-valuation of work, then the sub
engineer is held responsible and if the delay is due to
non entry of Muster
Roll or procedural
delay than the
BDO/PO had to
comply.
The software also
h a s a f e a t u r e
wherein if there is
any complaint not
redressed with in 5
days the concerned officer is sent an instant sms alert.
The software also alerted the DPC and CEO ZP about
the delay in redressal beyond 5 days. This is regularly
monitored by both the officers in the weekly time limit
meetings.
This has not only ensured in redressing grievances of
the concerned laboures but also helped in instilling
faith in the scheme & its aspects. It can be browsed at
www.citizenhelpline.in
Haryana
25 26

NREGA – A RAY OF HOPE FOR RURAL
UNEMPLOYED YOUTH
inod, who has studied Braille language upto
the middle standard is all praises for the
VCentral Government for starting the
NREGA Programme and making the rural masses
self-sufficient. When asked, does he face any
problems while working? To which Vinod proudly
replied, “I do not find any problem in digging or any
other manual labour as I can sense the things much
better than others”. It gives me pleasure and
satisfaction when I give my hard earned money to my
parents to run the hearth. - by Rajesh C. Bali
Imagine a blind person who cannot afford to make his
two ends meet, working happily as a casual labourer,
Becoming an independent earning person and
financially supporting his poor parents.
Vinod Kumar of village Khatroda, block
Mahendragarh (Haryana), employed under National
Rural Employment Guarantee Act Programme
(NREGA) along with his mother Banarsi is no more a
burden on his family, but is facing the life head-on.
“I can work like any able-bodied person. All the
distances are on my fingertips and if I come across any
hurdle, people of my village happily extend a helping
hand to overcome it”, says confident Vinod.
It was Vinod's sheer determination, which led him to
work like any other person. At the village site where
the work for digging a pond under this programme to
conserve water is on, Vinod works with other
labourers including his mother. He digs the earth with
the help of spade and throws the mud by stepping up
and down the mud stairs.
Vinod, who has studied Braille language upto the
middle standard is all praises for the Central
Government for starting the NREGA Programme and
making the rural masses self-sufficient. When asked,
does he face any problems while working? To which
Vinod proudly replied, “I do not find any problem in
digging or any other manual labour as I can sense the
things much better than others”. It gives me pleasure
and satisfaction when I give my hard earned money to
my parents to run the hearth.
Second amongst three brothers, two of whom are
married and living independent lives, he is fond of
listening to FM Radio. When his parents were asked
whether they face any problem in looking after their
blind son, they smiled back and said, “We faced
problems earlier, but now he does everything
independently. His father added Vinod use to feel bad
for not contributing financially or otherwise towards
his home, but after getting a job under NREGA, he is
satisfied and so are we. The Programme has given him
and others in the village livelihood.
The Block Development Programme Officer, Deepak
Yadav, under whose jurisdiction the village Khatroda
falls is happy with Vinod's work and enthusiasm.
- by Rajesh C. Bali
http://manthanjharkhand.blogspot.com
27 28

Himachal Pradesh
29 30

Finding their own identity
A case study of village Hangola, block Raipur Rani, District Panchkula Block- Morni, District- Panchkula
angola village of Block Raipur Rani is
situated about 30 Kms from District
HHeadquarters, Panchkula. NREGS was
implemented in this village in 2008. Right from the
beginning panchayat and people of this village have
shown great interest in NREGA. The works proposed
for digging of Johad in the village was with an
objective to have enough resources of drinking water
for village cattle folk and road for better connectivity
of the villagers to other parts of their basic needs of
fuel and fodder. The work of digging of Johad was
completed by workers and work of rural connectivity
is in progress. According to workers who worked on
Johad and rural connectivity, before the
implementation of NREGA the workers use to face
difficulty to get work in their village now workers don't
have to go outside for employment and they are quite
happy to work.
NREGA has also helped women of the village, who
had no source of income before because they could not
go and work outside the village due to the
responsibility of their families. After implementation
of NREGA in their village women are willing to work
as they can take care of their household duties and can
also work in their own village. NREGA provided them
an opportunity to earn thereby improving their social
and financial status.
harog village of Panchayat Bhoj Balag is situated
in foothills of Morni Block and has 20 households.
KBefore the implementation of NREGA, people
had to go elsewhere in search for work to earn their
livelihood. Villagers are mainly marginal farmers and they
had a very limited source of earning. Right from the
beginning panchayat and people of this village have shown
great interest in NREGA.
Due to the continuous meetings with villagers and
Panchayat by Block official's people got to know about
NREGA. It was decided by Gram Panchayat of Bhoj Balag
to undertake works for rural connectivity and rehabilitation
of two ponds in the village. The works were approved by the
Gram Sabha and the deputy commissioner of the district
Panchkula. The works for rehabilitation
of three Johads in the village were
proposed with an objective to have
enough resources of drinking water for
village cattle folk and road for better
connectivity of the villagers to other parts to fulfill their
basic needs of fuel and fodder.
The work of Johad rehabilitation and road was completed
by workers in time and work on one Johad is in progress.
Total Mandays generated upto now are 3518. Sarpanch of
the village says, “Along with provision of employment to
villagers in our Panchayat rehabilitation of five Johads
helped in water recharging and reduction in soil erosion
that has helped in saving the natural resources.
Worker- Bala Ram who got continuous work says, now
family members feel economically secure as I can earn
properly to feed my family.
Rehabilitation of three Johads in village helped in the water
recharging and now cattle have enough water
to drink even during the summer season.
Gram Panchayat took care that each worker
got paid on time for the work done.
31 32

Karnataka
33 34

Prabhavamamma Muniyappa
Job Card No. 33
District: Kolar
Case-Studies
CASE STUDY from KOLAR
Prabhavamamma Muniyappa
Prabhavamamma along with his wife grew vegetables in the farmlands of locallandlords.
Prabhavamamma used to get Rs.100 and his wife Rs.50 as daily wages. They both led a
dependent life at low rates and benefiting the rich landlords. The schedule caste couple got to
know about NREGA from their Gram Panchayat. On asking them what they know about the
self empowering act, they replied that all they knew was that they had the right to get 100 days
of work on demand. Working under NREGA, fetched each of them Rs.82 as daily wage. The
couple was happy that the act didn't differentiate between men and women workers and paid
uniform wages. Also, by the work undertaken they were desilting a village tank that would
help them store water during rainy season. They said that once the water table will rise, they
will get water in their borewell also. By earning higher wages they could send their two
daughters to school with ease. Their daughters didn't have to work elsewhere to contribute to
the family income and studied in Government School at Gorrahaly.
Muniyappa felt that income earned through NREGA works would further raise their
standard of living. They celebrated “Ugadi” festival with much more vigor than previous
years. They want the number of days and the amount of wages to be increased.
CASE STUDY from TUMKUR
Narayanappa, son of Jhipanna
Village – Jhoganghatta
Narayanappa hold 0.20 acre dry land in Jhoganghatta
village. He and his wife Siddagangamma worked on
their small land and cultivated ragi crop. The small
piece of land was insufficient for Narayanappa to feed
himself and his family of five. He sought some
additional work in his village and NREGA came to his
rescue. He registered and got a Job card issued by his
Village Panchayat. Now, Narayanappa and
Siddagangamma work under NREGA and
supplement their income through the self – targeting
programme of the Government of India.
On being asked how he would benefit from the village
pond, he replied that the water stored would be
utilized by him and fellow villagers for their daily
consumption as well as it will be channelised into their
fields which would result in better yield. This would
ensure that Narayanappa, a poor agricultural labour
would get a sustainable livelihood through
empowering NREGA.
Narayanappa at the village pond construction site in
Jhoganghatta village
35 36

Shama Sunder
People take up repair of a tank and
change the fortune of their village
Range Gowda, has been credited with
influencing villagers to join the
initiative
Farmers now cultivate two crops a year
in Naganahalli
Story of NREGA in a sleepy
Hassan village
ASSAN: Naganahalli under the Murkuli
Gram Panchayat in Hassan taluk is like any
Hother sleepy village in the country, but thanks
to schemes under the National Rural Employment
Guarantee Act, this village is now self-reliant. The
people even rebuilt an irrigation tank at a cost of Rs. 50
lakh. At a recent conference of elected members of
panchayat raj institutions in Hassan farmer Range
Gowda narrated the success story of their village.
He said: about four years ago, the only multi-purpose
tank in the village had developed a breach about 10 feet
long, and caused all the water to flow out. The people
Self help: A file photo of the
irrigation tank in Nagenahalli
village in Hassan.
of the village made several trips to MLA H.S. Prakash
and MLC S.M. Anand for funds to repair the breach,
but in vain. Lands watered by the tank also soon
dried up.
When the National Rural Employment Guarantee
Act was passed, five districts in the State, including
Hassan, were included for initiating schemes under
the Act. In the first year, Rs. 23.93 crore was allotted to
the district but the response was poor. At this juncture,
Mr. Gowda approached the zilla panchayat for
assistance, where the chief executive officer
S. Shankaranarayana explained the NREGA to him.
Mr. Gowda, on his return, tried to initiate other
villagers into working on the tank with him. He also
promised them that Rs. 83 a day would be paid as
wages after 15 days. When nobody believed him, Mr.
Gowda started working on the with three of his
friends. After a week, 10 other people joined them. Mr.
Gowda paid them all from his pocket. After 15 days,
they received payment under the scheme.
Within a month, the number of people working on the
tank increased to 80, most of them farmers. They
started strengthening the embankment of the tank
besides filled the breach.
Once they finished the repair, farmers formed groups
and laid channels, laid roads and cleared the land
around it.
The Government released Rs. 50 lakh to the village for
the tank. Mr. Gowda said that the irrigated 80 acres of
land in the village, besides meeting drinking water
requirements. Farmers are even able to cultivate two
crops a year.
Now, Range Gowda is on a mission to educate people
in surrounding villages about the NREGA.
Source: The Hindu
Job Cards of NREGA workers
37 38

Kerala
39 40

There are plenty of jobs provided by
the Forest Department that offer a
daily wage of Rs 250. Not only is the
wage more, but is paid promptly.
The NREGS payments take an
unfairly long time to reach the
beneficiaries.
- Chandran said
Women's power
he National Rural Employment Guarantee
Scheme (NREGS) has turned out to be a
T'ladies only' affair in Kuttichal panchayat, near
Kattakkada.
Of the 2,500 job cards distributed in the panchayat that
includes large swathes of Neyyar and Peppara wildlife
sanctuaries, as many as 2,152 have been to women.
“Initially, we were worried. We even tried to motivate
the men in the area. Some preferred to remain idle,
while most others found Rs 125 to be too paltry a sum,''
Kuttichal Panchayat president Paruthipally Chandran
said.
The president was worried because the unskilled work
under the programme involved hard and heavy labour,
which he supposed was beyond the capability of these
women who had applied for a job card. “I was under the
impression that it would be too much for them. Now I
find them as good as any man,'' the panchayat head
seemed relieved to be proved wrong.
Though he insisted that he did not subscribe to the social
stereotype of a physically weak woman, the CPM
panchayat president said he had a valid reason for his
pessimism.
“Most of the women who applied for job cards, more
than even 90 percent of them, were housewives who had
not done physical labour before. Until NREGS
happened, I am sure most of them had not even
ventured beyond their neighbourhood,'' Chandran said.
Let it not be mistaken that it is poverty that is driving
these women to queue up for job cards. “These are
women from well-to-do families. There are women
whose husbands work in the Gulf or whose husbands
occupy middle-level positions in government
departments,'' Chandran said. Apart from an
additional source of income, NREGS has provided
these women an opportunity to go out and socialise.
“It is the togetherness that makes things work. The
hard work is drowned in the fun. They talk a lot, laugh
a lot and share secrets. Many of them have said they
are doing this for the first time in their lives,'' said CDS
chairperson of the area Sreelatha.
On an average, five to six NREG works - digging of
trenches and drains, revival of dead ponds, creation of
firelines around tribal settlements - have already been
taken up in all the 13 wards of the panchayat.
“Initially, there were problems. We found it a bit hard
to finish work on time,'' Sreelatha said. Since NREG
work is carried out on the basis of an estimate fixed
before the work begins, an extra day of work would
mean the daily wage each woman receives falls below
the minimum wage of Rs 125 prescribed under
NREGS.
“This, in fact, happened in some of the earlier works.
Women were slow, but it was lack of experience more
than anything else. Soon things changed for the better,''
Sreelatha said. The other problem was the late start of
most of these NREG-related works.
“Women have a number of chores to attend to at home
and so they come out to work a bit late. And they also
need to get back to their homes before it is five (5 p.m.)
or at times even four (4 p.m.) before their husbands and
children return,'' Sreelatha said.
The issue is not serious enough to be a dampener. All
the work takes place within the five-km radius of the
panchayat. Men in these areas find the NREGS work
not attractive enough, making it easy for the
women to cope.
41 42
Source:

Madhya Pradesh
43 44

A Farm Labour Employs Farm Workers
Phoolobai, a widow living in Gorakhar village in Betul district used to have
a hard time keeping fires burning. Her husband had died young and her
small plot of un-irrigated land did not yield enough for the family. Her son
had to discontinue his school education. She and her son worked on the
land of other farmers to earn their livelihood. The Panchayat constructed a
well under the Kapildhara sub-scheme of NREGS, on her land. In the first
year, she earned Rs.10,000/- by selling her produce. Now, she grows
vegetables on her four acres of land and sells them in the market. Her son
Arjun, has stated going to school again. She also engages other needy
labourers in her field to assist her. From being a poor destitute labour,
Phoolobai is now a self-sufficient woman, who is also providing
employment to others.
A small all weather road, connected Jova village of Narsinghpur to new opportunities. The
village, which remained cut off due to lack of a road remained backward and people used
to migrate in search of better opportunities. Works opened under NREGS provided wage
employment in the village itself. Phool singh, who used to go out earlier in search of a job,
now finds work in the village itself. Janki Bai, a farm labour works on the NREGS worksite
in peace, knowing that her little baby is being taken care of in the creche provided under
NREGS. The labours are now connected with modern financial systems because their
wages are paid through bank accounts. The road built through NREGS funds has fulfilled
the sarpanch of Jova, Smt. Devkunwar Parihar's dream of ensuring that all pregnant
women of her village can reach the hospital easily for delivery. She glows with pride as she
looks at the road, safe in the knowledge that pregnant women and sick children will never
have to die a painful death at home during the rainy season because of lack of
road connectivity.
Nothing Is Far Now
My Work Is Being Praised Now
Chamanlal Panchtilak of Bhitola in Birwa Gram Panchayat in Balaghat
district, is an important man today. After all, he is the man whom the
district collector himself has visited. Till a little while ago, Chamanlal
was just another poor farmer. Then, a Kapildhara well was dug on his
land by the Gram Panchayat. Showing great enterprise, Chamanlal
decided to grow vegetables on a patch of land which when un-irrigated
yielded just enough for him to survive. Today, he stands proudly amongst
his field of healthy vegetables. People from neighboring villages visit his
field to see his success for themselves and seek his advice. His fame has
spread so much so that the district collector, himself visited to see the
impact of Kapildhara and congratulated Chamanlal.
Guaranteed Growth
“A number of rural development schemes were introduced but did not
perform expectedly, NREGS has really guaranteed growth", Observes
Ramlal Vaishya - a Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat Itar in Sidhi district. He
says that NREGS has contributed to the development of villages
considerably. His Gram Panchayat alone has witnessed the construction
of 85 irrigation wells in just two years. Over 95 thousand hectare has
come under irrigation. Two tanks and four cemented roads have really
accelerated the pace of development. Field bunding on farm lands has
benefited at least 30 families by increasing farm productivity. Recalling
the past, Vaishya says that people were not even getting potable water.
They had to travel miles to fetch water. It was a dream to have water for
irrigation. They used to grow millets to somehow feed their families.
Thanks to NREGS, these miserable days are over, he adds.
The convergence of NREGS with other rural development schemes like
Swarna Jayanty Gram Swarojgar Yojana has doubled its impact on
development profile of villages. Ramlala Vaishya, a Sarpancha of Itar
Gram Panchayat of Janapad Panchayat Devsar in Sidhi district explains
how convergence has brought about a positive change. "Food insecurity
coupled with water crisis had plagued all four villages in my Gram
Panchayat. Now the scenario is totally different, "he says adding that I
have not seen any rural development schemes in last 35 years in Itar
Gram Panchayat performing so well." He attributes the ongoing faster
developments in villages to implementation of NREGS. Vaishya
observes that the NREGA has really proved a catalyst in development
process bringing smiles to millions of rural people.
45 46

Case Study
Name: Hemraj Dhave
State: Madhya Pradesh
District: Betul
Water is an essential and
precious commodity for
mankind to lead a happy
life. Having known the
importance of water and
that too when there is
scarcity of water, one
cannot afford to waste
even a single drop of it.
With the scarcity of
potable water as well as
water for agriculture, the
people of Betul District
have been facing many hardships in their day- to- day
life.
This is a story of Hemraj Dhave who had an
agricultural land of his own but which was barren and
served no purpose. He has four children who are
studying, as he was the only source of income in his
family it was with great difficulty he was able to earn
for his family. He worked mostly as a labour on the
land of other's and anywhere he could work as a
labour in his village. Hemraj did not mind the kind of
work that he was doing as at that point of time it was
important for him to earn enough so that he could feed
his family members. On some occasions his wife
would also accompany him for work in order to earn
enough for the family. Thus, life was a desperate
struggle for Hemraj.
He regularly attended the Gram Sabha meetings and
on such meetings he got to know about the National
Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), he
applied for a Job Card and got himself and his wife
enrolled in the scheme, in three months a well was
constructed on his land in which he along with his wife
and twelve other workers worked, the equal and
sufficient wages have brought a ray of hope in their
dark lives. He started growing vegetables and food
grains. He took care of the plants wholeheartedly and
this proved in the growth of the plants. This has
increased the financial capacity of the family.
Hemraj is also happy about his bank account
opened under the NREGA, which has uplifted his
social status and he has also started to save money.
He says 'this scheme has provided me
work in my village and has assured food
for the unfortunate people like me. I
wish that this scheme should continue
forever so that our lives could change for
better'.
47 48

49
Orissa
50

NREGA helps villagers build road to happiness
or Mamuni Behera, a college student attending
classes was once a nightmare. Not that she hated
Fstudies but it due the fact that she had to walk for
few Kms from house in Seulakunda village to reach
chandanpur canal embankment where she would board a
bus to Bubhaneshwar.
It is not that Mamuni's family could not afford a bicycle.
Having or not having a bicycle for moving to and fro of
Seulakunda Village under Balipatna block hardly
mattered as the lone road to the village was just a footway,
not suitable even for bicycles let alone motorcycles. The
situation was worse during the monsoon.
But things have changed.
Maumi now-a-days happily pedals directrly to her
college. The approach road to her village has been
transformed into a 20 feet- wide road, the construction
work completed just a month ago.
The improvement of road, as well as the positive change
in the lives of the villagers is attributed to National Rural
employment Guarantee Scheme.
Quite interestingly, a majority of villagers are daily
wagers, who work in various construction sites in
Bhubaneshwar. However, their village was devoid of
communication, which was fulfilled under the flagship
poverty alleviation programme.
51 52

The road work started on 24 October
and was finished by 8 November this
year. With a cost of Rs 1 lakh, we could
create 733 person days and were able to
finish work .
- DRDA project director
Mr Manoranjan Patnaik
Officials of Khundra district administration, who are involved with
the implementation of the scheme pointed out that the villagers
though were facing trouble with the lack of a good road, never
bothered since they were earning more at the private construction
works than the NREGA work.
However, when they were motivated and made to realize that tiny
contribution on their part would usher in a lasting positive change to
the village, they understood, appreciated and actively participated.
No wonder, the 20-feet and about 1 Km long road was completed
just within two weeks.
The road work started on 24 October and was finished by 8
November this year. With a cost of Rs 1 lakh, we could create 733
person days and were able to finish work “said DRDA project
director Mr Manoranjan Patnaik.
Seulakunda village is not just an isolated case; in fact, scores of
villages have started tasting the benefits of the scheme.
Balugaon and Banpur areas, which were known for large-scale
migration to other states, are also showing good response in
executing the NREGS project work, thus considerably mitigating
the migration rate, he claimed.
Khundra district which could spend about 35 percent of the total
allocation in previous years, has been able to spend more than 68 per
cent of the received funds till date this fiscal.
Of the 11,508 persons applied for work, as many as 10,640 have
been provided with work this year, while 1,66,740 man-days have
been created. A total of 19,748 bank/post office accounts have been
opened for wage payment. Similarly, social audits have been
conducted in 140 gram panchayats of the total 168 GPs in the
district, official sources maintained.
Source: The Statesman
Punjab
53 54

NREGA proves beneficial for Punjab women
The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in the state is giving
women the opportunity to earn. While men prefer higher wages in nearby towns, the
scheme has proved to be a breather for the women in a state.
Disclosing this Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, Rural Development and Panchayats
Department Punjab said ever since the NREGA schemes have been implemented in
their locality, they have been able to augment their family incomes. Be it for an
increase in the family income or a crucial tool for living, Panchayats engages a
substantial number of women in NREGA projects launched in the villages, he said.
“Another reason is, women feel safe at the work place in a better socio-economic
environment. Participation of women is highly encouraging and it will definitely
give rural economy a boost in the near future”, he said.
He also informed state government would ensure convergence of NREGA with other
schemes that were already being implemented in Punjab.
Source:
athinda is a phase III NREGA district and the
NREGS was physically implemented from 01-
B04-2008 in the district. The implementation of
NREGA required special efforts in the district because
of the peculiar situation in Punjab. Unlike other states,
the demand for work by people is limited and seasonal
and this problem is more acute in southern Punjab due
to cotton picking. Bathinda district is the regional
centre for cotton procurement leading to creating
acute shortages of labour during agricultural seasons.
Punjab is already having an extensive infrastructure of
link roads and canals etc., which reduces the scope of
undertaking works which are labour intensive. The
most important work which is having scope of
creating labour under NREGS in Punjab is cleaning of
canals and distributaries coincides with peak
agricultural seasons(closure of canals is during
harvesting seasons) leading to a missing link. Bathinda
is also characterised by having a vibrant media with
law and order issues of “Dera problems and kissan
union with the district administration mostly involved
in tackling this issues. However despite of these
factors, Bathinda district is one of the very few districts
NREGA in Bathinda district
in Punjab which is performing well under NREGS.
The good performance of the district is due to various
factors adopted by district administration in
implementing NREGS these factors can be briefed as
follows.
�Extensive IEC activities carried out in the
district: wide publicity was given for creating
awareness among the general public and PRI
functionaries for knowing their rights through
various means like wall paintings, pamphlets
and leaflets, hoardings, flex boards, brochures in
local language- in fact Bathinda district is the
first to print these brochures which was even
circulated in Assembly and among the other
districts, audio cassettes and CD containing
telefilms were shown in various villages. The
telefilms has created munch enthusiasm in the
villages regarding the scheme and also this
mode of communication is very popular in
Punjab. The illiterate people also were made
more aware about this scheme effectively
through this method.
�Well planning and formulation of DPP-
Bathinda district is pioneer in preparation of
DPP for five years 2008-2013, containing
existing resources and works to be undertaken
and infrastructure to be created for next five
years In every villages. DPP is a reference book
for preparation of annual action plan of the
district ensuring minimum 5 works per village
every year.
55 56

57
�District bathinda is also innovative in
identifying new works to be under taken under
NREGA, like cleaning of water works was
undertaken first by the district in Punjab with
NREGS labours. This involves cleaning of filter
media, inlet channel and SS tanks with 100%
labour component.
�District Bathinda also done a lot of convergence
of NREGS with other departmental schemes
like renovation of old village ponds created new
income for panchayts for giving them on
contract for pisciculture. The link roads built by
PWD are provided with earthwork on berms
under NREGS. Afforestation in village
common land, link roads etc and cleaning of
canals are typical example of inter departmental
coordination.
�Active involvement of gram sabha is ensured in
project formulation for annual action plan. The
DPP was formulated through participatory
rural appraisal (PRA) techniques with active
involvement of villagers. The social audit
exercise was conducted in villages in campaign
mode with a school teacher heading the
exercise.
�The major outcome of implementation of
NREGA is seen in the physical performance of
the district. Initially there were reluctance on the
part of the people to turn up for works and
executing agencies to carry out works but it is
gradually being removed through creating
proper awareness.
�Due to the proper implementation of NREGS
in the district ensured clean drinking water to
villagers along with ensuring wage employment
to labours. Cleaning of canals ensured water
reaches at tail end increasing water use
efficiency.
Rajasthan
58

Workers happy with NREGA
ajsamand (Rajasthan): NREGA's effective
implementation in many villages of
RRajasthan has brought down migration to
Gujarat and Mumbai to less than half of what it used
to be.
Two years ago Girdhari was a migrant laborer in
Gujarat, when his wife fell seriously ill. She died
during the 10-hour journey to hospital but now work
under NREGA is available at home in Vijayoura
through which Girdhari is able to earn enough to send
his children to school.
“It is important for me to be with my kids. With
NREGA in our village I get my daily Rs 100 here. I
can be with my children now,” says NREGA worker
Vijaypura Girdhari Singh.
A transparent system ensures that Girdhari and his coworkers
are paid what they are owed. The Vijaypura
sarpanch, Kaluram, a Dalit who won his seat
promising transparency, makes sure the panchayat
records are accessible to all.
“The worker will question it. He'll ask the
panchayat I didn't get that much money, neither have
I worked for that many days. So why have you
written this here. The more the transparency more
the people will connect,” says Vijaypura sarpanch
Kaluram Salvi.
The villagers call it the Janata Information System. All
records, name of person, number of days worked and
the amount paid are painted on the walls of the village,
for everyone to see.
“The idea is not to get disheartened by corruption.
Corruption too will stop if people make a noise
about it wherever they are it is working smoothly,”
says social activist Shankar Singh.
59 60

Tamil Nadu
61 62

Case Studies
Case study – I
Smt. Pusha aged 39 years is a divorced women
accompanied by her Physically challenged son; Mr.
Prabakhar, lives in Paramacheri Gram Panchayat,
Manamadhurai block, Sivagangi district of Tamil
Nadu. She was well off before as her husband was
taking care of her family. Once she got divorced from
her husband, survival became difficult. She was
advised by her neighbours to get registered for the job
card at Gram Panchayat. As she got the job card, she
got her SB account in Pandian Grameen Bank,
Yadicatu.
Now she earns Rs. 1200/- per month including
agricultural and NREGA wages. NREGA is not only
providing wages for her but also provided credit
worthiness during lean periods.
Case study – II
Shiva Shakthi Vel aged 27 years belong to BC family
resides in Vagudi gram panchayat, Manamadhurai
block, Sivagangi district of Tamil Nadu. He is
suffering from hearing impairedness from his
childhood. Once his family members belittled for
being a burden in the family, he thought of earning for
his survival. He got registered for unskilled work under
NREGS and obtained his job card. His account is in
Pandian Grameen Bank, Yadicatu.
63 64

Impact of Durable Assets created under NREGA
in Nagapattinam District
Free flow of water for irrigation
ue to desilting of channels and river water
flows freely to irrigation lands, it results
DNorth
better productivity and yield. At the time of
East Monsoon heavy rain causes flood and
cyclone. By desilting of channels the destruction of
paddy, sugarcane and cattle damages mostly avoided at
the time of flood and cyclone.
Improvement in the Ground Water
Due to the implementation of this scheme, there has
been a remarkable improvement in the ground water
table of this generally water – starved region. With a
rapid improvement in the storage capacity of existing
water bodies, formation and desilting of new tanks and
ponds with the revival of the distribution system
enabling stored water to reach the respective farm lands,
the need for digging deep wells at a heavy cost has been
dispensed with. The overall productivity and yield
region has improved significantly. Even the cattle of this
region have benefited out of this.
Empowering rural women
mpowering rural women is another major outcome
of the NREGS. It has both direct and indirect effect
on socio-economic equality and solidarity.
EOut of the 3, 38,415 individuals registered nearly 2, 27,593
workers regularly attend NREGS work.
81% of women are regularly enhaged in NREGS works
because of the High wages ( Rs. 80/- per day) when
compared to other works/agricultural operation in private
farms where Rs 40 is offered per day. Thus they have become
economically independent now.
The SHGs movement is a big success in Tamilnadu and
Nagapattinam district alone nearly 10000 SHGs are available
operate in rural areas. This leads to continuous inflow of
funds through internal lending with low rate to interest.
Now because of wages through NREGS the inflow of money
has increased considerably and because of this the monthly
subscription amount has also increased from Rs. 40/- to Rs.
80 per month. It has paved the way for the increased group
corpus and the economic empowerment of women.
65 66

Reducing Rural- Urban Migration
ince this District is non-industrial area, rural
people are mainly dependent upon the
SAgriculture based activities. Hence it is usual in
Nagapattinam District and in lean season workers are
migrating to near by cities such as Thirupur, coimbatur
and Chennai. Due to the implementation of the
NREGA, providing daily employment nearby their
dwelling with assured minimum wages stopped the
migration of the rural people.
With relentless implementation of the scheme the
economical status of the family has improved. The
regular income source helped the rural workers to send
their children to school regularly.
As such, in the proper way of implementation of NREG
scheme, the goals and objectives of the National Rural
Employment Act- 2005 have actually been attained in
Nagapattinam District.
Adult literacy campaign to NREGS workers
REGA is not considered just an employment oriented scheme. It is
viewed as a major tool for uplifting the socio economic conditions of the
Nrural poor.
Through the staff of conrinuing education centers the NREGA workers are being
trained to read and write especially during the lunch hour.
The muster roll is the clear indication of literacy rate of the worker/ village.
Those who put the thump impression
are the target group for the literacy
campaign.
In total nearly 36724 individuals
were made literate through this
programme.
Now all the 36724 people are able to
sign their name in the muster roll
instead of thumb impression.
Health and sanitation
s NREGA insists on health awareness to the
NREGA workers have been provided in coordination
with health department.
AIn support with local health sub centre and the village
health nurse, health camps are being conducted at the
NREGS workers at the worksite through health
officials.
Awareness on how to prevent water borne diseases like
cholera, Malaria etc.., have given to NREGA workers at
the worksite through officials.
67 68

Tripura
69 70

Impact on Target group
ince implementation of NREGA scheme in
North Tripura District, there have been
Stremendous changes in the lives and life style of
the people which is transparently visible- some could
be cited.
�Containing Migration- Before implementation
of NREGA there was migration of skilled and
unskilled labour from rural areas to urban areas
for getting means of livelihood. Now, this trend
has changed as people are getting work in their
village under NREGA.
�Asset Generation: During implementation of
NREGA, in many places assets have been
created for horticulture and other allied
agricultural activities which is providing
sustainable income for growth and development
of individuals and of the area.
�Women Empowerment: NREGA has given a
boost towards emancipation of women. As
such women folks are contributing towards
development of the area and in this process
transformed from home makers to bread
winners. This flow of income to women folk has
given them to raise their voice against gender
inequality and other social evils.
�Amelioration of Rural poverty: There have been
significant changes in the life style of the tribal
people at the implementation of the NREGA
scheme in tribal area. Normally tribal people
maintain their livelihood by practicing Jhum
cultivation (shifting cultivation) and they used
to move from one place to another in search of
land. As a result tribal people have found
reasons to settle down with a better standard of
life. They have been able to avail better
administrative facilities and civil amenities were
not provided to them earlier. Tribals have been
especially encouraged to take up cultivation of
different horticulture plants on land that was
once used for jhuming. This has in turn lead to
solid conservation. This has had an impact on
law and order situation also as extremists are not
getting recruits and their activities have reduced.
Drop out students have started enrolling their
names again. Health and hygiene has also
improved due to increase of purchasing.
ubalsinghcherra under Bharat Chowdhury
ADC Village, Hezamara RD Block, is a
Sseasonal stream which originates near
Baramura Temple at Bharat Chowdhury para. Its
length is about 7 km and its wide is about 30 mtr.
During monsoon the rain water flows down from the
Construction Of Bundh
adjoining hillocks passes through the
stream but it remains almost dry during
winter season.
A project to construct an earthen bundh
(dam) over Subalsingchera was taken up
during 2008-09 under NREGA. The total
cost of the project is Rs. 39.05 lakhs.. The
project comprise of construction of an
earthen dam of construction of two spill
over channels and a pucca retaining wall.
The project provided employment of 8500
persondays to Registered Families under
NREGA from Bharat chowdhury ADC
Village, Balurbondh ADC Village and
Baikunthapur ADC Village.
The project would greatly help in
mitigating the water crisis of the area, particularly for
irrigation purpose. About 80 hectares of agricultural
land would be irrigated belonging to farmers of ST
community. The project has created a further prospect
for employment generation and asset creation under
NREGA as several hundred metres of irrigation
channels would be required to be constructed for
irrigating farm land. This will allow multiple cropping
in the farm land which will be brought under
irrigation.
The project has created a large water area which has a
huge potential for pisiculture activity too.
The project would also help in conservation of water
and in preserving the flora and fauna in the area.
71 72

KATHALIA R.D.BLOCK R ural Connectivity
Name of Name of the project/work:-
Construction of new road from Nidaya
Barpathari PWD Road to Tulatalibara via
Mundapara
otal Mandays generated: 4149 Nos.
Mundapara, is a tribal habitation with 110
Tpersons living, situated within the Nidaya G.P
area. Before the formation of this road, the inhabitants
of Mundapara had no access to the P.W.D main road
except through narrow dykes or embankments of the
paddy fields. During the rainy season, people were cut
off from all other villages. The newly formed road is
about 3 kms in length which has also connected
secluded Munda habitation with Nidaya-Barpathari
PWD road and Tulatalibari. During summer season,
their alternative source of livelihood is wood-selling
for which they had to go to the Nidaya market. Earlier
there was no such road and they carried wood
bundles/bunches on head-loads to the market through
the paddy fields. Now, they have easy accessibility to
the market with their bi-cycles. Besides, the munda
parents are also bringing their children to the Sluice
gate AWC which they could not do earlier.
Besides, mandays generation, about 384 people of
Tulatalibari have benefitted by the construction of this
road. Their connectivity with the southern part of the
state has improved and their connection with Nidaya
and Mundapara has been strengthened.
73 74

BISHALGARH R.D.BLOCK Economic approach through Water
Conservation
ater conservation is important under
NREGA which is not only to maintain
Wecological balance, but also the water
conservation plays major roll for economic
development of the rural area.
During the year 2008-09 about 78 Hect water areas
created and re-excavated in Bishalgarh RD Block
under NREGA. Out of which, one water area about
two acre has been created in the land of Sri Joykishore
Sarkar, of sipahijala of Kasba Gram Panchayat under
Bishalgarh R. D Block
62 (Sixty two) years old Sri Sarkar is the head of one
SC family consisting 13members at Sepahijala para
under Kasba Gram Panchayat.
The family mainly depends on the agriculture activity.
But the earning from the paddy land was not sufficient
to maintain his family. He said that, one to two
thousand rupees was his monthly income from the
agriculture activity . It is hardly possible to feed the
family from the said income. There was an extra
problem he faced during the time after every rainy
season that is sand silting in the paddy land and It was
difficult to remove the sand every year from his paddy
land. As a result , he changed his cropping pattern
from paddy to vegetable . But he was not able to
increase his income level.
Considering the above he approached to the local PRI
body through Gram Sangsad to provide assistance to
create a water area in his land.
According to people's decision, the PRI body of Kasba
Gram Panchayat includes the proposal in their annual
action plan. During 2008-09, the Bishalgarh
panchayat samiti approved the proposal to take up the
work for excavation of water area in the land of Sri
Joykishore Sarkar. Involving 8826 person-days the
water area excavated under NREGA within the land
of 4kani of Sri Sarkar . The fish seeds were provided
from NREGA to make the project economically viable
one.
Now, Sri Joykishore Sarkar is expected to earn
Rs.5000/-to Rs.6000/- per month from the water area
through pisciculture.
Moreover, about 600 families of nearby habitation was
suffering acute scarcity of water for their everyday use
other than drinking water, as a result when people
heard about the creation of water area and approached
Sri sarkar to permit them to use this water area for
community propose.
Shri Sarkar expressed his willingness to permit use of
water area for community purpose. Hence, the
creation of an water area on his land has solved
problem of water scarcity of the locality. The people
of that area are happy for the asset created under
NREGA, and they are now using this water area for
their bathing, washing of clothes purpose.
Construction Of Steel Foot Bridge
ne steel foot bridge of 35 metres length and 3
metres wide has been constructed over
Othe Champatali stream at Paschim
Champachera ADC Village with NREGS fund during
the year 2008-2009. The Bridge is strong enough to
bear the load of small passenger vehicles, and as such,
Jeep and small cars can move freely without any
problem. A total of Rs.11.00 Lakhs was incurred for
completing the work.
There are about 65 families living in the other side of
Champatali stream near Champahour market which
is about 200 metres away from the habitation. The
local people have to cross the Champatali stream daily
on foot to reach the market and attend office and
schools. A narrow bamboo bridge used to provide the
vital link since long time back. Due to yearly floods,
the bridge use to get damaged and new bridge had to be
made regularly. During flood, the local people had to
take separate road to reach the market and walk a
kilometer or more causing much hardship for the
students and general people. Also, there was great risk
for the small children in crossing the bridge during the
monsoon when the water level is normally high.
Understanding the hardship of the local people, the
Block Advisory Committee, decided to built the Steel
Foot Bridge to solve the long felt problems of the area
from NREGS fund.
After completion of the steel foot bridge, residents of
the Champatali area are happy that they can now
move freely to the market without any worry and
apprehension for their school children even during the
monsoon. Small vehicles like Auto-Rikshaw can enter
inside their habitation and carry passengers to the
market. Owners of two wheelers can take and bring
their bikes freely the whole year round without taking
the long route to reach the market. The bridge have
provided the vital link for the habitants of Champatali
and solved long standing difficulties of the area.
75 76

77
Uttar Pradesh
78

79
uccessful execution of the National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) in Uttar
SPradesh's Gorakhpur district has stopped the
rural masses from migrating to urban areas.
Earlier, rural people were forced to migrate to cities in
search of work, but now the NREGA has enabled
them to find work in their villages and remain with
their families.
"After the implementation of the NREGA in our
village, we don't have to go to the cities in search of
work. There are many types of work that we do here,
which include digging roads and working in brick
factories and drains. This scheme has helped us a lot;
now we can manage our families and farmland while
working here in our village," said Murataza Hussain, a
villager
He added that the NREGA's provision of
employment opportunities is also a welcomed
safeguard against food insecurity.
The NREGA guarantees equal opportunity
employment, enabling women to work, as well.
“The implementation of the NREGA has helped my
fellow villagers. Now they don't have to shift to the
cities in search of work, they get employment over
here now. There are 360 employment cards that have
been issued in this village alone," said Indravati Devi, a
village chief.
The Central Government provides gives each worker
employed under the NREGA a daily wage of rupees
100.
NREGA beneficiaries have found employment in
brick factories, construction of roadways and
highways, and in orchards and plantations.
Employment
schemes stops
workers' migration
to urban areas in
Uttar Pradesh
Evenings by the
village pond
Lucknow : The brief to the villagers was clear: the
ponds, to be built under the National Rural
Employment Guarantee Scheme, would have pucca
steps and fenced boundaries. But the villagers
exceeded their brief and put up gates, stone benches
around the pond and manicured gardens. Now these
ponds—in villages on the outskirts of Lucknow—are
turning into tourist spots.
In Maseedha Ratan village in Mall block, the adarsh
talaab (model pond) has been built at a place where the
village panchayat used to meet. “This is a common
meeting place for the villagers and during festivals, a
local haat (market) is also set up here. Hence, we chose
this spot for the pond,” says Prem Kumari, the
pradhan of Maseedha Ratan.
The adarsh talaab in this village is 76X70 metres and is
fenced on all four sides, with a gate on one side. The
villagers have planted several trees such as neem,
sheesham, sehjan and papaya. Eight stone benches,
two on each side, have also been fixed, along with a
chabootra for people to sit. A handpump will also be
installed here, they say. Around 254 villagers worked
on the pond and now, three women from the village
have been asked to water the plants everyday under the
same NREGA scheme.
“The fencing and benches were part of the original
plan, but we added some plants to ensure that the area
looks green and beautiful. We want people from other
villages to come and see this,” says Prem Kumari.
The pond, which was ready on December 2, was built
at a cost of Rs 5.81 lakh and the payments have also
been cleared. In village Nai Basti Dhanewa, in
Malihabad, the pond has been constructed near an old
temple. “We already had a small pond here, so under
this scheme, we decided to beautify it and also ensure
that it is cleaned up regularly,” says village pradhan
Zarina Begum.
80

his pond too has a barbed-wire fence, six
benches, and chitwan, jamun, neem and
Tsheesham saplings. A three-step water inlet
and a small outlet have also been made. Around 165
people worked here and the pradhan has now given the
pond on lease to a local Dalit family to rear fish. The
entire work cost Rs 3.34 lakh. “We wanted this to be a
place where people could send their evenings,” says
Begum.
Kaushal Raj Sharma, the Chief Development Officer,
says the credit for these ponds should go to Block
Development Officer Ashok Kumar Nigam and the
gram pradhans. “We asked them to make ponds with
barbed fencing. It was their decision to have plants and
benches. They also ensured that one poor family in the
village got regular work—watering plants or cleaning
up the sides of the pond,” he says. Sharma says he is
getting these ponds photographed. “These are turning
out to be the best models and we want to show them to
other pradhans too. Our target is to have at least one
such pond in each village,” says Sharma.
Source: Indian Express
West bengal
81 82

Sustainable Livelihood through Mahatma
Gandhi NREGA
Beneficiary of Mahatma Gandhi NREGA at
Hingalganj Block
65 year old farmer, Bimal Hazra is a resident
of Bispur, Hingalgunj. He cultivates
Avillage
vegetables. Bimal Hazra had been born in this
and says that his ancestors came to live here a
long time ago. He has two sons of whom one is
married and has a small son. Bimal has three
daughters who are all married. Both sons work in
sweet shops in Barrackpore and live there. So Bimal's
immediate family consists of four members while both
sons visit home once every one or one and a half
months.
The Hazra family was in the village when cyclone Aila
had struck the Sunderbans and Bimal says that a tree
fell on his house and that it had come down.
Bimal Hazra suffers from asthma and is unable to do
any heavy work. Bimal is keen to stay on in his village
and work. He believes his sons would be happy to work
near their home and not have to migrate to
Barrackpore for alternate employment opportunities.
Bimal was unable to educate his children much. His
daughters had studied till class four while both his sons
had studied till class six.
Bimal Hazra has very little cultivable land attached to
his house in which the pond under the NREGA
scheme has been dug. He has planted jute plants
around the pond in the newly dug soil. It takes about
three or four months and for the rest of the year he
plants brinjals and other vegetables for the family's
consumption. The residential house stands over one
bigha and five kathas while the cultivable land
measures up to one and a half bighas. The pond
occupies one bigha. He has started small scale
pisciculture and he goes to the local 'haat' to sell the
fish himself. He also has some coconut plantations
which gives him some coconuts to sell in the market.
The pond had been dug in the month of 'chaitra'. It had
always occupied one bigha and under the NREGA
Project it has been dug deeper as the water used to dry
up in the dry seasons. He uses the water for irrigation
and the family uses it to bathe and wash clothes and
dishes. He lets the neighbours use the water as well for
the same purpose.
Bimal Hazra says that the real benefits of the pond
would come to light two years from now when the fish
would be ready to be sold.
He says that people are getting work within the village.
The women's self help group of which his wife is a
member go to the work sites and give drinking water to
the men who work under the NREGA Project, says
Bimal. As the women cannot do much heavy work,
that is how they help out.
Bimal says that he would like to start farming lobsters
which sells for eight hundred rupees every hundred
grams and sells well. He needs a big loan to be able to
return the money he has borrowed from the
neighbours at an interest and also to invest in lobster
farming.
Bimal admits that without Mahatma Gandhi NREGA
he would not have had the resources to invest in his
own land.
Mahatma Gandhi NREGA has not
only provided an employment
opportunity to Bimal’s family but
has also given them hope and ability
to plan their own future.
83 84

Disaster Management through Mahatma Gandhi NREGA
Benefits generated by NREGA has in part helped in absorbing the negative effects of Aila storm
abindranatha Gayen, 37 years old has only
been educated till the Class X level and has
Rnot been married. He lives with his parents
and is therefore only a three member family. He is the
principal earning member in the family. The family is
Beneficiary of 'Sech Doba' scheme at
Hingalganj Block
running on aid from relatives. “We do not have enough
money for survival.”
Rabindranath has been able to build a house on about
one bigha of land that is close to his current place of
residence–“this is an old place owned by the family for
ages from his grandfather's time. It has been partly
damaged by the Aila storm”. In addition,
Rabindranath shares the property with his elder
brother who has been married and has a family.
In the past, Rabindranath had a sari shop from where
he had adequate earnings. Due to natural catastrophes
he had lost his shop, money and business to floods.
This has been one of the greatest shocks in his lifetime.
Thereafter he had applied for many loans which never
got sanctioned. The final devastation on all his
establishments was caused by the Aila storm.
Thereafter, despite taking several trainings at Barasat
on handicrafts, he couldnot revive his old work on
business. Finally, he has been forced to resort to
cultivation. There are outstanding loans that he has to
take care of. These loans have been the result of loss of
property and investments.
The single crop land does not have enough produce for
the family's well being. “NREGA project has therefore
helped me a lot. I have received money for the work on
pond excavation.
Rabindranath has started vegetable cultivation on his
land. He hopes that with further work under Mahatma
Gandhi NREGA , the size of the pond may be
increased and even used for rice cultivation.
On the pond dug through Mahatma Gandhi NREGA
Rabindranath says that he has introduced fish into the
pond very recently –“I have introduced tilapia
fingerlings and only a few other varieties because the
pond is new and shallow. Although it has not been
affected by the storm, the water inflow into the pond
has not been regularised and therefore I have chosen
not to be too much ambitious.”
Rabindranath approached the panchayat committee
with the request for pond excavation work. “I thought
it would be very beneficial as our land is a single crop
land and especially in the summer when water for
cultivation purposes is scarce. So I ended up applying
for NREGA. This happened only after the panchayat
committee approached us with the benefits of
NREGA.”
Rabindranath is grateful that the work on pond
excavation has been completed.
He also points out that they have been asked to possess
bank accounts or accounts at the Post office for
payment through NREGA work.
We are aware of the rules
and regulations of Mahatma
Gandhi NREGA.
85 86

m
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M
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sutra i
Ministry of Rural Development
Department of Rural Development
Government of India
New Delhi
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