Nisar Malik,
The most important of all rural programmes to be ushered in recent past is Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). It was started as National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. MGNREGA is a job guarantee Act implemented by legislation on 25Th August 2005. The MGNREGA provides 100 days of employment every year. This act was introduced with an aim of improving poverty level of rural people, irrespective of the fact whether or not they live below poverty line or are Skilled or un-Skilled.
MGNREGA was launched on 02nd February 2006 from Anantpur District of Andhra Pradesh and initially covered 200 of the “Poorest” District of the country within a small span of time it spread over to 626 Districts across the country; irrespective of gender, geography, age, skill or caste. The only thing that is needed is that it should be implemented efficiently and effectively in the country which has a record of misusing nearly 70% of money meant for developmental purposes.
During the year 2011 the scheme was widely criticized as it was not more effective. Despite its best qualities or purposes it was not free from controversies of Poor quality, lack in infrastructure and poor funding.
But on the other side, the scheme is also focused;as it vanished the Social and gender discrimination with 23% workers consists of Scheduled Castes, 17% ofScheduled Tribes and 50% of Women’s folk.
The scheme led to most development in Rural areas on water conservation, harvesting, afforestation, flood control and digging of new Tanks/ Roads. Employees are given work of land leveling. The proposal of any work is first given by the Panchayat to the concerned office. Then the office decides whether the work should be sanctioned or not.
In North Kashmir’s Baramulla district we encounter mostly disappointing story over NREGA implementation. According to “Abdul Hamid Bhat” belonging from Chandkoot(one of the village of Baramulla), “Initially the scheme was on right track but with the passage of time it lost its track because the work done through NREGA didn’t remain successful”. He further added that in his village 55 lakhs were sanctioned on different works through NRGEA but according to him it seems hardly 10 to 20 lakhs of amount spent on different works.
In Kashmir, NREGA was launched in the year 2007,initially the work was very less because the people were not aware about the scheme. As the time passed people came to know about the scheme that resulted in its Upliftment in every village of the concerned block. Most people are saying that with its upliftment corruption also aroused and most of the works were done on Nepotism basis. They are also saying that the concerned authorities (Contractors) did not took proper care which resulted in controversies in most of villages. As a matter of fact, wells were digged in villages through NREGA with a turnover of around Rs. 60,000/- then these wells were used as Pit Holes and Animal dung is stored in these wells instead of water.
In NREGA, a labourer can work freely; he is not bond to any kind of restriction and can get his wages through bank. In Kashmir Women’s doesn’t prefer to work in NREGA but time may come they will also prefer to work under this scheme.
GhulamNabi Malik a local said “NREGA was the best scheme implemented by Central Government”. The work that was estimated in 6 figures but the concerned people completed it in 4 figures and still the concerned authority sanctioned it in 6 figures in their own favour. He further added that they were told to fill up the form of job card but still they were not issued the same therein.
Ghulam Mohi-Din Parray from Baramulla, a concerned NREGA (Contractor) say’s “Basically there is no contractor in NREGA” this word is introduced by people themselves. Village Level Workers (V.L.W) is the main contractor of NREGA after Block Development Officer.The work is done by his order. This so called contractor is there to mark the attendance of the labourer.
Realities suggest time may come when MGNREGA may succumb to verger’s’ if funds are not utilized in proper and sophisticated manner.