PRIA
organised a slew of activities to empower
people and spread awareness of Panchayati
Raj. Activities were categorised under
three heads: the National Rural Employment
Guarantee Act (NREGA); Girl Child Education;
and Devolution.
National
Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA):
The
National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
(NREGA), 2005 guarantees 100 days of wage
employment in a financial year to any rural
household whose adult members are willing
to do unskilled manual work. The Panchayats
at each level have been made the principal
authorities for planning and implementation
of the schemes under the Act (Section 13(1)).
Since this Act came into force on February
2, 2006, employment opportunities have been
generated for thousands of villagers.
PRIA under its current
framework 'Governance Where People Matter'
has been working towards qualitative
improvement in rural governance by capacity
building of elected representatives
and enhancing people's participation.
Bottlenecks like lack of devolution
of finances to rural panchayats; tied
funds and reluctance towards internal
resource generation have created constraints
for Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs)
to be agents of social and economic
development. Non-implementation of Gram
Sabha resolutions put a break on the
initial enthusiasm among people to participate
in this very important grass root level
democratic institution. PRIA sees NREGA
as an opportunity where PRIs will have
access to fairly adequate resources
to meet the expectations of the rural
population by not only generating wage
employment for the needy but also creating
useful community assets, which will
further catalyse socio-economic development
of rural areas.
Since
NREGA provides a guarantee and is a demand
driven scheme, it places a great pressure
on the PRIs who are the principal authorities
in the planning and implementation of
this Act.
After
a series of consultations at different
levels, a three-pronged strategy for awareness
generation, monitoring and model building
was adopted at the beginning of the year.
In awareness generation, for orienting
Civil Society Organisations on NREGA and
creating a network to collectively work
on NREGA, several activities were undertaken
at macro, meso and micro levels during
the year 2006-07. A national consultation
on the role of Panchayats in NREGA was
organised in New Delhi in which the major
provisions of the Act were discussed apart
from the exchange of grassroot level experiences.
Participants were sensitised about the
importance of working with Panchayats
to make NREGA a success. Macro team to
PRIA's journal Participation and Governance
contributed an article on the Role of
CSOs in NREGA. At meso and micro levels,
orientation workshops for CSOs were organised.
Activities, such as an orientation programme
in Mahbubnagar, a workshop at Rajnandgaon,
a district level orientation programme
in Chamoli and Champawat districts of
Uttaranchal, capacity-building initiatives
for panchayat representatives and secretaries
in 15 Gram Panchayats in Shivpuri, Sidhi
and Dhar districts in Madhya Pradesh,
were geared towards an easier understanding
of NREGA.
In
model building, PRIA
and its partners have been involved in
Gram Sabha mobilisation for developing
perspective plan and annual plans for
NREGS. In Gujarat, in the last week of
February and first week of March 2007
gram sabhas were conducted for preparing
annual plans for works under NREGA. Numerous
other activities like planning for the
Backward Area Development Grant was also
clubbed in this meeting but in some of
the intensive panchayats, people raised
demand that specified works be taken up.
In Pakur district of Jharkhand, where
registration and works were stopped during
the monsoon, PRIA had a dialogue with
the district administration to continue
the registration and proposed plantation
work during the monsoon. Here citizen
leaders were encouraged to facilitate
fair selection of the monitoring and vigilance
committee. The interface with government
authorities at all levels was another
activity undertaken to enable panchayats
to provide rural employment.
In
monitoring and advocacy, to learn about
the ground realities regarding the implementation
of NREGA and the role PRIs are playing,
PRIA conducted a quick survey in 12 states
during April- May 2006. Findings were
shared in the national consultation held
on June 1, 2006, which saw the participation
of elected representatives, CSOs, government
officials, donor organisations and the
media. Recommendations of this national
consultation were shared with the Ministry
of Rural Development, the Ministry of
Panchayati Raj, the Planning Commission
of India and other stakeholders.
In
monitoring and advocacy, to learn about
the ground realities regarding the implementation
of NREGA and the role PRIs are playing,
PRIA conducted a quick survey in 12 states
during April- May 2006. Findings were shared
in the national consultation held on June
1, 2006, which saw the participation of
elected representatives, CSOs, government
officials, donor organisations and the media.
Recommendations of this national consultation
were shared with the Ministry of Rural Development,
the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, the Planning
Commission of India and other stakeholders.
Assessing
performance of NREGS during financial year
2006-07, PRIA carried out a second study
based on a sample survey conducted in 21
districts of 14 states of India. To disseminate
the findings, a press conference was organised
on October 1st 2007. The press release is
reproduced below
Less
than six percent registered household got
100 days of employment under NREGS in the
financial year 2006- 07
In
last financial year 2006-07 only 6 % of
households registered under National Rural
Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in the
country have got 100 days of employment
that the NREGA guarantees to all rural household
interested to do manual labour.
This
is revealed by a study conducted by Society
for Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA)
, an NGO. Study
on NREGS is based based on survey conducted
in 21 districts of 14 states of India. These
states are Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh,
Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand,
Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan,
Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Reference period for the survey is from
April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2007.
National
Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 has
come into force in 200 districts of India
from February 2, 2006. In the current financial
year NREGS has been extended to 330 districts.
Budgetary allocation for last year was Rs.
11,300 Cr while allocation for the current
financial year 07-08 is Rs. 12,000 Cr.
Study
also highlighted that 4 out of surveyed
14 states have not constituted State Employment
Guarantee Council (SEGC) even after more
than a year. These states are Bihar, Gujarat,
Haryana and Orissa.
Gram
Panchayats are implementing 81% of the total
projects (according to their costs) sanctioned
under NREGS in surveyed districts the study
shows. Gram Panchayats being closer and
accountable to people are likely to implement
these projects in more responsible manner.
However additional responsibility on panchayats
are not matched by devolution of functions,
funds and functionaries to them. As a result
Gram Panchayats are under tremendous pressure.
It is high time Panchayati Raj Institutions
(PRIs) are treated as an institution of
local self government rather than a mere
implementing agency of state and central
governments.
Adequate
dedicated administrative and technical staff
has not been placed with Gram Panchayats
for implementation of NREGS. Findings suggests
that in surveyed 21 districts 1 out of 2
Gram Panchayats do not have Panchayat Secrataries
exclusively for Gram Panchayats. Similarly,
half of surveyed Gram Panchayats have not
been provided Employment Guarantee Assistant.
Rural
workers are still not aware of procedure
to get their entitlements. In the 530 surveyed
villages only 45 % of surveyed registered
households have ever demanded for a job.
From among those households who demanded
job, only 27% have been given a receipt.
This trend is negating the right based and
demand driven approach of NREGS
Only
about 44% of surveyed households who demanded
job responded that they have got job within
prescribed 15 days from the date of application.
Delayed allocation of job is negating one
major objective of this Act to reduce rural
distress. Despite such rampant delay, no
unemployment allowance has been given to
any of the surveyed households, as per provision
of the Act.
42%
of the households surveyed responded that
wages paid were less than minimum prescribed
wages for agricultural labour in the state.
Difficult daily assigned tasks, and deficiency
in measurement have been cited as main reasons.
Low wage payment is badly affecting enthusiasm
among workers and in some places they do
not want to work under this scheme.
It
is very important to revise schedule of
rate so that any worker who performs 7 hours
of manual work should not get less than
the minimum wages applicable in the state.
Time and Motion study ought to be conducted
to rationalize district schedule of rate
(DSR). It was found that in Andhra Pradesh
and Gujarat, revision of Schedule of Rates
has led to substantial increase in wages.
54
% of registered household surveyed responded
that payments were not made within the prescribed
15 days limit. Most of those working under
NREGS are extremely poor and cannot sustain
for so long without any wages. In some places
workers prefer working outside with low
wage rate but regular daily payments rather
than working under NREGS.
It
has been observed that different process
has been adopted and different actors are
involved in social audit mandated by the
Act. Effectiveness of social audit is totally
dependent of intentions and capacities of
district and block level officials. Social
Audit needs to be institutionalized and
an autonomous structure at all three levels
of Panchayats be created and Action Taken
Report made mandatory. Non-threatening environment
at local level needs to be build to make
the entire process
PRIs
as institutions of local self-governance,
are mandated to make, manage and implement
programmes related to universalisation of
elementary/primary education. The Sarva
Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is the national flagship
programme for Universal Elementary Education
and was launched in 2001-02 to reach every
child in every hamlet in the country within
a prescribed time frame. At present the programme
SSA covers the entire country and addresses
the needs of 19.2 crore children in 11 lakh
habitations. With a view to providing a
special thrust to girls' education, additional
programmes like National Programme for Education
of Girls at Elementary Level and Kasturba
Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya were started in
2003. Despite these schemes and programmes,
the effective literacy rate among girls
remain below 50% with a huge regional variation.
Over the two past years, the government
of India has enhanced budgetary allocations
substantially, along with a special educational
cess for massive revenue mobilisation. Yet,
the actual delivery mechanism remains inefficient,
unaccountable and wasteful. PRIA in its
efforts to help in the universalisation
of education has made as its objective,
the facilitating of Panchayats in delivering
universal and quality primary education
to all girls in their areas by 2007.
PRIA
and its partners are working intensively
in seven states namely, Haryana, Rajasthan,
Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat,
Jharkhand and Himachal Pradesh (with at
least one district in each state) for
facilitating girl child education (GCE)
with the help of the Panchayat.
PRIA
(and its partners) identified girls' education
as a focus for its intervention because
PRIA believes in eliminating gender-based
discrimination, and the absence of basic
education among girls/women is one of
the reasons for its perpetuation.
The
empowerment of women and adolescent girls
is significantly enhanced with the access
to basic education. Many other development
indicators, like nutrition, hygiene, etc,
are known to be linked to women's education.
Women's future leadership in Panchayats
can be more effectively exercised if future
generations have basic education.
With
these objectives in view, PRIA's interventions
have focused upon improving the access
of girls to basic education. In doing
so, it has focused upon SSA since "the
programme calls for community ownership
of school based interventions through
effective decentralization". This
will be augmented by the involvement of
women's groups, Village extension Centre
members and members of the Panchayats.
Education, especially at the primarily
level, has been mentioned in the 11th
Schedule of the Constitution as a responsibility
of Panchayats. Therefore, PRIA's interventions
have attempted to make Panchayats take
responsibility for effective delivery
of basic education for girls.
PRIA's
interventions were focused district downwards
with the following indicators for assessing
achievements.
Universal primary education: net
enrolment ratio
Quality of education: survival rate
up to Grade V of primary education
Gender parity: reducing the gender
gap in primary schooling
PRIA
devised a three- pronged strategy, namely
1) Monitoring and Research, 2) Advocacy
and lobbying, and 3) Model building.
Monitoring
and Research
Identifying gender-specific
constraints to education. Analysis of
access to education from a gender perspective
at the local level.
Identifying the
role of Panchayats in delivering quality
primary education, and identifying gaps
and constraints for Panchayats.
Advocacy
Developing strategies
for advocacy and interventions for gender
sensitive educational process at district
and state level.
Interface and
advocacy through state and district
level MSD on GCE and PRIs.
Model
Building
Across
the states, 2-3 blocks of at least one
district were taken into consideration
in which 5-6 Gram Panchayats were selected
for intensive model building interventions.
The criteria for identifying the blocks
were educationally backward blocks/villages
in the district identified by SSA; and
blocks/villages where special programmes
were specifically implemented for girl
child education (NPEGEL, Kasturba Gandhi
Balika Vidyalaya Scheme, Mahila Samakhya
etc)
PRIA
Haryana carried out cluster and Gram Panchayat
level orientation workshops for ERs/CLs
in selected Gram Panchayats (Districts
-Mahendergarh, Fatehabad, Mewat, Jhajjar,
Sonipat and Panchkula) in May-June- 2006,
i.e. before the Gram Sabha meetings for
taking up Girl Child Education (GCE) as
a development agenda. Similarly, PRIA
-Janjgir and PRIA-Kangra also organised
ward level meetings and discussions during
their Gram Sabha mobilisation campaign
in order to include primary education
in the development agenda during the Gram
Sabha meetings. In Bahraich, small group
meetings were organised to make VEC members
aware of their membership followed by
roles and responsibility. Women networks
in Hamirpur and Kangra districts of Himachal
Pradesh were provided hand holding support
and orientation, particularly on the community
monitoring of the mid-day meal programme.
In Haryana, rallies on the theme of "
Meri Beti School Ja rahi hai kya apaki
bhi " were
organised in selected villages of Mahendergarh
and Fatehabad district. Likewise Unnati
in Gujarat participated in Kanya Kelavni
Rath, i.e., rally for girl child education
and 'Shala Pravesh Utsavs'.
International
Women's day was celebrated across GCE
states on the theme of Girl Child Education.
During these events findings of the studies
helped in highlighting the role of panchayats
and the women leaders in taking up GCE
issues.
Gram
Sabha mobilisation and capacity building
of elected representatives and citizen
leaders took place. This has helped in
generating awareness among the elected
representatives and citizen leaders on
issues related to girl child education
and role of panchayat. During mobilisation,
the orientation of members of the education
committee and parents teacher's association
was conducted which spurred community
led initiatives like passing of a resolution
for the construction of girls' toilets
in Himachal Pradesh, Panchayats allotting
funds to repair roof of a school in Haryana,
striking out of twice enrolled names in
school registers after the issue was highlighted
in a village meeting in Chhattisgarh.
Following
the National Roundtables conducted by the
Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MOPR), Government
of India in 2004, PRIA was asked by the
MOPR to provide technical support to state
governments in undertaking detailed activity
mapping for facilitating devolution to panchayats.
PRIA and Partners were engaged in the same
for 15 states/UTs, namely, Andhra Pradesh,
Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh,
Daman & Diu, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal
Pradesh, Jharkhand, Orissa, Punjab, Madhya
Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttaranchal and Uttar
Pradesh. In the meantime MoUs were signed
between central and state governments for
effective devolution of funds, functionaries
and functions to PRIs in a time bound manner.
Activity
mapping is essentially an exercise aimed
at clearly specifying which activity within
a function is best done at which level
of Panchayat. Once such a specification
is made, financial devolution can be accompanied
with devolution of functionaries.
PRIA
(and its partners) undertook this exercise
in a systematic and consultative manner.
Once the state government identified 8-10
departments whose devolution was to be
undertaken, a team of officials from the
block, district and state levels of the
particular department sat down with PRIA
to undertake a complete listing of schemes
and functions of that department, and
the current levels of responsibility.
PRIA,
in collaboration with Rajiv Gandhi Foundation,
convened a national seminar of State Finance
Commissions on December 2, 2005. In the
seminar, chairpersons of SFCs and ex-chairman
of Twelfth Finance Commission expressed
the need to form a joint forum of SFCs
and asked PRIA to provide secretarial
support to this task force of the SFCs
to help them make recommendations for
more realistic and need- based SFC reports
and recommendations.
Data
gathered on the progress of MoUs was shared
in the state workshops to mark the completion
of one year of signing the MoUs between
Central and State governments. During
the workshops, a balance sheet was prepared
and shared with the elected representatives,
government officials, NGOs and media.
In Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, and Haryana,
systematic finding on the progress of
MoUs included feedbacks from offices of
state government officials also. Then
the balance sheet of the status of implementation
of MoU was shared in workshops organised
at Jaipur, Shimla and Chandigarh. Government
officials (implementers), ERs (beneficiaries)
and NGOs/Media (enabler) participated
in these workshops. The basis of the follow
up that was subsequently done was balance
sheets produced by PRIA (these were shared
with MoPR).
Elections
to Panchayati Raj Institutions are stepping-stone
in the direction of good governance. Free,
fair, peaceful and participatory election
processes ensure that people elect those
candidates of their choice who can become
responsive and accountable leaders of
Panchayats later. Here the Pre-Election
Voters Awareness Campaign(PEVAC), aims
at making people aware about the importance
of their participation in the election
(as voters and/or candidates), how to
participate (delimitation of constituencies,
nomination procedures, registration as
voters), how to become eligible for voting
(inclusion of name in voters list), how
to actually caste their vote (ballot papers,
timing and place of voting) and who to
vote for (worthiness of candidates). The
purpose of PEVAC is to create an enabling
environment for free and fair election,
and encourage the participation of marginalised
(women, SCs, STs), both as voters and
as candidates.
Fresh
elections were held for Constitutional
Panchayats in Bihar, Gujarat and Andhra
Pradesh during the period. PRIA and its
partners launched 6-12 months long PEVAC
in these states. Through strategic alliances
and linkages with the CSOs, State Election
Commissions (SECs) and District Administration,
PEVAC covered about 50 per cent of villages
in the states.
PEVAC
sharing workshops were held in the states
to share the activities carried out as
part of PEVAC, the impact of the campaign
was studied and the documentation/report
was shared with the forum members and
other stakeholders. The impact studies
have shown the following changes due to
PEVAC initiatives: voting percentages,
especially by women and others of weaker
sections have gone up in the campaign
areas; many women in general and those
belonging to weaker sections in particular
dared to contest from general seats; demand
for training on PRI was generated by newly
elected representatives; dissemination
of posters and pamphlets and Aamna-Samna
programme between contestants and voters
had lasting impact on voters; a broad
inclusive platform of civil society organisations
at state and district level was built
and supported for ensuring a greater involvement
and wider outreach.
