NREGS helps lower distress migration

The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme has been a star scheme of the Cong-led United Progress Alliance. But, according to a study conducted by an NGO Disha, the scheme, though helpful in parts, is being abused in greater parts by the Gujarat government.

The study's findings highlight that working under NREGA is being preferred by people and has succeeded in distress migration in search for employment by 57%. In Gujarat the study was conducted in five districts for 421 families, of which 81% said they preferred NREGS to migration for employment and 99% of families emphatically said that migration from their areas had gone down.

However, the study also revealed that payment to labourers was a big concern as payments in some areas have not been made for more than a year by local authorities.

Ex-MP from Congress, Madhusudan Mistry, who released the study said the job of constructing bori bandhs being undertaken in several districts currently is a violation of the basic tenets of the Act. "The jobs to be taken up in the scheme should be creating a permanent asset for the village. Bori bandhs are not a permanent asset, they burst in summer or get washed away in monsoon," Mistry said.

Another issue highlighted was of the government transferring some jobs of the department to the NREGA. "We found out that some personnel employed under the forest department were transferred as employed under the NREGA," he said.

The study was conducted in association with a Bangalore-based consultancy CELENT's analyst, Anshuman Jaiswal. Director of Disha, Paulomee Mistry said,
"There are inconsistencies in measuring the work done under the scheme. Facilities at workplace are inadequate. Villagers are not involved in the decision making process.

Around 71% of respondents claimed the decision to give work was taken by the Gram Sabha. Moreover, contractors and machines are still being used, though they are banned under the law."