Government of India have, nearly a year back launched a massive programme for employment to the rural masses in 200 very backward districts of our country.  At the time of writing of this article, this number has increased to 300 districts.  Who knows after one year, this figure may go up to 350 or even up to 400.  In one of the seminar in recent months, I had forecasted that number of backward districts had gone from 100 to 200 in few months and commented that in very near future, it may go up to 300.  Possibly every district want to be backward.  It seems, in this country, there is a race for backwardness. 

Though this programme has several lacuna and very difficult to implement in its letter and spirit at such a mass level, it is definitely a very important programme.  Obviously, immediate objective of this programme is to provide immediate employment to rural unemployed people in their village or around village for hundred days in a year to one person from one family.  One can comment on this 100 days and one person, but we leave that aspect untouched at present in this article. 

This programme has been implemented from February 2006 and many lessons must have been obtained from its implementation during first year.  Working in several districts and almost all of them covered under above programme, we have some important observations.  We have observed in some districts that massive programme of earthen structures was taken up and also kachha roads with soil were constructed.  Nearly 70-80 % of such works got washed away in the first monsoon in 2006 itself, and thus, such works were sheer wastage.  Also, if every year in a district, if large scale work is taken up around soil and earth, then there would be hardly any work of such nature after couple of years.  The Government need to think this aspect very seriously.  On nallas and rivulets, earthen check dams and anicuts could be avoided as they are likely to be washed away in flood and the soil of that structure will get deposited as silt in a river and nalla.  Farm ponds could be useful, so will be percolation tanks provided proper and technically sound embankment and waste weir are provided at such percolation tanks.  Otherwise, such structure will also be damaged or washed away in monsoon. 

PROGRAMMES OF LONG TERM BENEFITS

The NREGS Act has categorically suggested that from the provision under the above Act, sustainable and durable assets could be created.  Some state governments have given directives for such assets creation even though such works may not maintain ratio of 60 : 40 labour and material components respectively and have worked out to maintain such ratio at the district level for the entire programme.  This practice was followed in earlier JRY programme which was also expected to maintain 60 : 40 ratio, and yet, durable assets were created by maintaining ratio at the district level. 

It is rational and in the interest of long term benefits to rural poors that as many durable assets are created as possible from the above programme it would be better.  Water resources development, agro forestry, micro watershed, ground water development and recharging should be few programmes which should be preferred under NREGS.  Micro watershed development programme can easily be taken up even by village panchayats as it has scope for about 80 % labour component.  Infact, it is clearly spelled out in the guidelines of NREGS to adopt watershed approach, but, this is hardly observed by many states.  We feel in order to have long term sustainable benefit and to get away people from ‘manual labour’ all throughout their life, they need to be offered durable assets in the form of common property assets or collective or individual assets from these funds as the amount is very huge and it could be rationally planned out for most suitable programmes from district to district and block to block. 

The most ideal decision could be that minimum of 30 % of the amount earmarked for NREGS should be spent on durable assets preferably through area development programmes like micro watershed, minor irrigation, etc.  With huge amount available in each backward district ranging from about Rs. 100 to Rs. 200 crores annually to most of the identified districts, it should be easily possible to earmark about Rs. 30 crores or more every year for creation of durable assets for appropriate, feasible and viable programmes in different districts and different blocks.  This single decision will transform the backward district in to better one in five years provided implementation is done speedily and properly by mobilizing best human resources available in any sector like government departments, reputed NGOs, PRIs, etc.  Large numbers of backward districts have formulated their perspective plan and master plans for the development of their rural areas.  Such documents should become reference document and with necessary modifications and updating, they may start implementing such plans, using an opportunity offered by NREGS.  It is utmost essential that along with spending of allotted money, quality works with speed need to be emphasized and implemented without any compromise.  Otherwise, these 300 districts who have remained backward for nearly 60 years after Independence and 56 years after planned development will remain backward, inspite of allocation of unprecedented huge funds under above programme. 

In our experience and observations, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have taken some pragmatic approach in the implementation of NREGS.  While very strangely, Gujarat has not taken such pragmatic steps.  Atleast we don’t know about it.  The fact is that both in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, reputed NGOs are involved in certain programmes under NREGS, whereas in Gujarat, such steps are not taken so far, atleast in our knowledge.  Historically, Gujarat is expected to take lead in all programmes, involving its institutions of high repute. 

31.03.2007