MGNREGA awareness, mandays among lowest in Wokha district

A  recent survey on Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) carried out in Wokha district as part of a European Union (EU) funded project has revealed that 80% of respondents were unaware of the processes involved in the flagship scheme. It was also revealed that less than 20% job cards were with beneficiaries themselves while more than 60% were with village authorities.
EU-funded project on ‘Improving access to information and delivery of public service schemes in remote and backward districts of North East (NE) states of India’ covering seven backward districts across five NE states, namely, Goalpara and Cachar in Assam, Ri-Bhoi in Meghalaya, Churachandpur and Chandel in Manipur, Lawngtlai in Mizoram, and Wokha in Nagaland carried out the survey in the later part of 2015 in 28 villages from two blocks of Wokha district.
The survey revealed that in most districts surveyed, respondents said their states had provided less than 35 days of work, the highest being Lawngtlai (75 days) and the lowest being Wokha (25 days) and that complaint redressal was a meagre 5% across the districts surveyed.
Survey also revealed that less than 30% had received their Job Cards within the prescribed 15 days across the districts surveyed, while less than 25% of respondents from Chandel, Wokha, Goalpara and Churachandapur districts were partially satisfied with the timeliness of service delivery.
It was further revealed that 95% of Wokha respondents were paid in cash, while more than 60% of respondents from across the districts surveyed claimed there was no pattern in receipt of wages and that in most cases beneficiaries received MGNREGA payments as and when money was released.
EU-funded project is being implemented by Paris-based French NGO Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED) along with Guwahati-based North East India Committee on Relief and Development (NEICORD) which in partnership with local NGO Team Metamorphosis (TM) is responsible for field implementation. Bangalore-based Public Affairs Centre (PAC) is tasked with the research component, and the Guwahati-based Nanda Talukdar Foundation (NTF) as its media advocacy component.
The project seeks to achieve three main results — to encourage demand for improved service delivery, improved access to and quality of public services particularly for the most marginalized and women, and to enhance transparency of service providers for 10 central government flagship schemes: IAY, JSSK, ICDS, MDM, MGNREGA, RKVY, NBA/TSC, RGGVY, NSAP, and TPDS.
MGNREGA was launched in August 2005 through an Act of Parliament with the objective of ensuring social protection for the most vulnerable living in rural India by providing employment opportunities; strengthening decentralised, participatory planning through convergence of various anti-poverty and livelihoods initiatives; deepening democracy at the grass-roots by strengthening Panchayati Raj Institutions; and effecting greater transparency and accountability in governance.
Under MGNREGA, all adults (18 years of age and above) of a rural household willing to do unskilled manual work and who have Job Cards may be provided not less than 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year.
Other entitlements include safe drinking water, rest breaks and access to a first-aid box that is adequately stocked, and free medical treatment from the state government in case of any accident during work.
In case of hospitalization, the state government shall provide complete treatment, medicines, hospital accommodation without any charge and one will be entitled for daily allowance which shall not be less than 50% of wage rate applicable, and in case of death or permanent disability due to accident at work site, the Job Card holder will be given Rs.25,000/- or such amount to be decided by Central Government to the legal heir of the deceased or to the person in case of the later.
Other essential entitlements of MGNREGA wage seekers include the right to register and get a job card; the right to demand work, and get dated receipt and get work within fifteen days or entitlement for unemployment allowance if work is not given in time; the right to get work within a five km-radius from home or entitlement to get 10% extra; the right to select the work in the Gram Sabha; the right to minimum wages; the right to payment within fifteen days or else entitlement for compensation; the right to worksite facilities – water, shade, medical kits, and crèches; the right to transparency and proactive disclosure of all records; and the right to audit works and expenditure in social audits/public audits.