Grameen Bharat

Contents
From the Secretary's Desk.. Spotlight
Bharat Nirman Volunteers: A Strategy for Organisation of a Village Based Cadre of Volunteers to Accelerate Rural Development

Shri Vilasrao Deshmukh assumes Ofce as Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj

Shri Vilasrao Dagadojirao Deshmukh assumed charge on 19 January 2011 as the new Minister for Rural Development
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Landmarks of the Month

Afghan Delegation Calls on Rural Development Minister Shishir Saras Mela Inaugurated 9

and Panchayati Raj. Prior to this he was Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Government of India. Shri Vilasrao Deshmukh is a member of the Rajya Sabha representing Maharashtra. He was also a two-time Chief Minister of

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Awards for 'Effective Initiatives under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA' 11

Maharashtra, from 1999 to 2003 and from 2004 to 2008. Shri Deshmukh was born on 26 May 1945 in Shri Vilasrao Dagadojirao Deshmukh

Quiz
Check your Knowledge about Mahatma Gandhi NREGA 15

Babhalgaon, Latur District, Maharashtra. He graduated with a degree in Science (B.Sc.) and in Arts (B.A.) from M.E.S. Abasaheb Garware College, (Pune University) and went on to study law (L.L.B.) from ILS Law College (Pune University). He started social work activities in his early youth focusing specically on drought relief work. He was elected Director of the Osmanabad district Central Cooperative Bank and also of the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank in 1979. Shri Vilasrao Deshmukh entered active politics and became a member of the

In the News

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Editorial Board
Editor-in-Chief: Niten Chandra Joint Secretary (IEC) Editor: Uday Moray, Director (IEC) Associate Editor: A. Mazumdar Dy. Dir. (IEC) Members: A. K. Sood, Dir. (RH) N. K. Sahu, Dir. (Mon.) T. Srinivas, Dir. (NSAP) C. S. Mann, Dir. (LR) V. Mittal, Dir. (IEC-DWS) Sujoy Mozumdar, Dir. (DWS) P. Nagrath, Dy. Secy. (DWS) Sudhir Shyam, Dy. Secy. (SGSY) N. C. Bhanwal, Dy. Secy. (Trg/GC) Amit Kumar Saha, Dy. Adviser (DWS) C. P. Reddy, DC (DoLR) Uma Iyer Rawla, Media Consultant (MoPR) Photographic Assistance: Ramesh Kumar, Staff Photographer, MoRD Published & Distributed by Fountainhead Solutions (Pvt.) Ltd., New Delhi on behalf of the Ministry of Rural Development
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Babhalgaon village panchayat from 1974 to 1979 and its sarpanch (village chief) from 1974 to 1976. He was a member of Osmanabad Zila Parishad and Deputy Chairman of Latur Taluka Panchayat Samiti (Latur District Panchayat Committee) from 1974 to 1980. In 1987 he started the Manjra Cooperative Society factory in Latur. This sugar factory transformed the socio-economic condition of the region and bagged many national and state awards. It is the agship institute for development of Latur. He was responsible for the launch of the Tanta Mukti Abhiyan in Maharashtra.He was a Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from 1980 to 1995 winning the 1980, 1985 and 1990 elections. During this period, as the Minister of State and the Cabinet Minister, Shri Deshmukh handled departments such as Home, General Administration, Cooperation, Public Works, Transport, Legislative Affairs, Tourism, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development Fisheries, Industry, Rural Development, Education, Technical Education, Sports and Youth Welfare, He was re-elected to the State Legislature from Latur Constituency in the elections held in September 1999. In the same year he was credited for delegating more powers to Zila Panchayats and strengthening the Panchayati Raj system. Shri Deshmukh visited Japan, Thailand, Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Netherlands in 1980 to study Cooperative Movements and Agricultural Development.

Grameen Bharat
From the Secretary's Desk..

Shri A.K. Misra, Secretary, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation in his ofce The Grameen Bharat team met Shri A.K. Misra, Secretary, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation recently. He shared his views, thoughts and concerns regarding the programmes of his Department. Neena Thomas brings you excerpts from the interview

Challenges in reaching the benets of DWS schemes to the common man

To bring quality in life we all need to make our country clean and healthy to live in. To achieve this target availability of safe drinking water and safe sanitation practices are important issues to be addressed. Water and Sanitation programmes, for their success and sustainability, require empowered, aware and skilled stakeholders capable of planning, implementation, operation, maintenance and management of water supply and sanitation schemes. Since the inception of the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, various IEC activities were carried out by the Department to reach out to a large number of people from the rural areas. IEC activities are needed to keep the issue of sustainable water and sanitation at the forefront of the global agenda. It will raise the issue prominently to politicians, civil society, and the public in general focusing on the need to take effective action. The Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission, (RGNDWM) along with the respective State Governments, has, over the last few decades, mobilized efforts to provide safe drinking water and clean sanitation facilities to all rural habitations. The lEC programmes play a critical role in bringing success to the water and sanitation projects by sensitising communities. For these activities 100% grant in aid is provided to all states under the Support Fund which is 5 % of the respective state allocation for carrying out awareness among rural communities regarding all aspect of water conservation, quality issues, health and hygiene related Issues.
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Role of Panchayat
Panchayats have the most crucial role to play in successful implementation of the sanitation campaign. This campaign needs provision of infrastructure but also bring about behavioural changes at individual and community levels. Panchayats play a vital role in shaping behaviour through social, institutional and personal influences. Social mobilization for the construction of toilets, safe disposal of wastes, maintenance of community assets for improved sanitation are all within the ambit of their responsibilities. Panchayats can use their own development funds to supplement the efforts under TSC and other sanitation programmes. They can also open and operate Production Centers/Rural Sanitary Marts for rural sanitation products. Panchayats have an important role in the monitoring of the TSC programme since they are in the best position to verify the physical availability and usage of facilities created. In the case of the National Rural Drinking Water Programme, the States are in the process of transferring development activities and responsibilities to the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). Steps are being taken to iron out the inherent problems in this process; build their capacities, and reduce panchayats dependence on central and state directions, etc. Under the New NRDWP guideline it has been made mandatory for the States to hand over the RWS schemes to PRI/ Water Supply Committees (WSCs) for Management of the schemes and release of 10% of the Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Central fund has been linked to this.

Grameen Bharat
Spotlight
Bharat Nirman Volunteers: A Strategy for Organisation of a Village Based Cadre of Volunteers to Accelerate Rural Development
To translate this into reality, the Ministry of Rural Development has undertaken a unique initiative of putting in place a village based cadre of volunteers to be christened as Bharat Nirman Volunteers (BNV).

Background and Development Challenges

The Ministry of Rural Development has introduced several development schemes and initiatives to improve the lot of the rural poor. While these programmes have been successful in achieving many of their developmental objectives, many evaluation studies have identied gaps in programme implementation. These gaps in development schemes adversely affect the delivery of benets to the intended beneciaries. The Gram Panchayat, the lowest rung in the hierarchy of Panchayati Raj institutions, plans and implements these development programmes. However, it is poorly equipped with manpower in most of the states. Further the skills and knowledge of the Gram Panchayat functionaries are often inadequate. The situation at the intermediary level of the Block Panchayat is somewhat better. Nevertheless, much needs to be done to enhance their capacity to deliver public services. One way of ensuring the success of these programmes is through large scale peoples involvement and sensitisation to development needs across a diverse range, whether this be in the areas of health and sanitation, infrastructure and environment, literacy or agriculture. Voluntary Action to Streamline Programme Delivery It may be possible to avoid many of the problems in rural areas if steps are taken for streamlining the implementation of existing government programmes by a campaign for awareness generation, capacity building of institutions and greater engagement with the people. This will require closer contact with the people which could be established through a large village based cadre of volunteers who are provided suitable training and incentives to actively support the administrative machinery and the Panchayati Raj Institutions in the implementation of government programmes. Besides establishing closer contacts with the rural households, the volunteers can assist the government functionaries in shouldering the responsibilities of delivering public services in a variety of ways. This can greatly improve administrative efciency in a cost effective manner.
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Objectives of Bharat Nirman Volunteers Cadre

The objectives of the Bharat Nirman Volunteers cadre are to: 1. Establish close contact with rural households who are stakeholders of government programmes; 2. Generate awareness about government programmes and the procedures to avail of the benets of these programmes; 3. Encourage legal literacy and generate awareness and understanding among people of their rights and obligations under various government programmes, particularly those relating to rural development, agriculture, watershed development, health and family welfare, education, women and child development, infrastructure (including roads, electrication, irrigation, drinking water, sanitation, broadband connectivity, telephones, banking and post ofces) and environmental protection; 4. Support the government administrative machinery and the Panchayati Raj Institutions in the performance of their duties, particularly in implementation of the Citizens Charter; 5. Facilitate social audits of government programmes; 6. Expedite redressal of grievances of the people and assist in the functioning of helplines; 7. Improve quality of implementation of government programmes by providing feedback on status of programmes to responsible ofcials; 8. Provide opportunities to socially conscious citizens to participate in nation building activities; 9. Develop leadership among the people;

Grameen Bharat
Spotlight

10.Develop a cadre of trained development volunteers with a deep commitment to change and development; and 11.Create appropriate conditions to maintain peace and tranquility in rural areas.

Bharat Nirman Volunteers will remain under the charge of a suitable ofcer, working under the BDO, to be known as the Counselor. He shall guide the volunteers in the performance of their functions and maintain close liaison between the volunteers and the BDO. Volunteers shall maintain a work diary in a prescribed form which will contain programme-wise details of the work allotted to them and work performed by them. The work diary will be reviewed by the counselor, the BDO or the gram panchayat from time to time. Suitable grades such as A, B, C and D will be awarded to record the quality of work against each item of work done. All information relating

Terms and Conditions of Engagement as a Bharat Nirman Volunteer

Any individual committed to making a contribution toward effective implementation of welfare and development programmes of the government can apply to the Block or Gram Panchayat for registration as a Bharat Nirman Volunteer. He/she should be above 18 years of age. At least one-third of the volunteers so engaged should be women and preference should be given to SC/ST/OBC and minorities. Tenure of the volunteers may be life-long provided they fulll the prescribed conditions for proper conduct and discipline. The volunteers shall be provided three day training on proper implementation of various government programmes. They shall be familiarized with the fundamental duties as laid down under Article 51-A of the Constitution of India. Further refresher training will continue to be provided according to need. Training will be imparted to the volunteers by the block with the help of SIRDs. Every Bharat Nirman Volunteer shall be attached to a maximum of 40 households residing in his/her close neighbourhood. The volunteer will be responsible for facilitating delivery of public services under various government programmes to the eligible rural households. They will also forward requests for services and grievance applications from the rural households to the gram panchayats and the blocks.

to Bharat Nirman Volunteers enrollment, training, work diary, grading and awards - shall be entered in the MIS in the Diksha website. The top 10% of the volunteers as per the calculation of the sum of the grades may be given awards at the district and block levels during annual functions such as Republic Day or Independence Day, Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti Day. Bharat Nirman Volunteers shall exhibit model conduct and be an inspiration for others in the village. They shall endeavour to provide all possible assistance for effective implementation of the welfare and development programmes of the government. The service performed shall be purely voluntary without any expectation of any pecuniary or non-pecuniary return. Volunteers who show doubtful character and conduct may be disengaged by the gram panchayat or the block. The volunteers shall take a prociency test every year. This may be an online objective test to assess the knowledge of the volunteers about all the schemes operating in rural areas. The annual renewal of engagement of the volunteer will be subject to the passing of the volunteers with a minimum of 70% marks.

Grameen Bharat
Spotlight

Role
Bharat Nirman Volunteers will carry forward the messages of rural development under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA, National Rural Livelihood Mission, Rural Housing, National Social Assistance Programme, Rural Roads, Drinking Water and Sanitation, Watershed Development and Panchayati Raj Programmes to the rural households with whom they shall be attached. They will make sure that the members of the rural households are fully acquainted with their entitlements, roles and responsibilities under the various programmes of rural development, agriculture, industries, banking, health, education, etc.

The volunteers shall help in the preparation of Citizens Charter and its implementation by the Gram Panchayat, Block and the District Administration by communicating the expectations of the citizens and preparing a delivery standard which is workable. Grievance Redressal and Helplines: A large number of grievances accumulate in the ofces of the BDOs, District Collectors and the line departments and responses remain inadequate because of shortage of resources. The volunteers shall facilitate settlement of these grievances by coordinating with the Government ofces and the rural households.

Duties and Responsibilities

Peoples Participation: Awareness generation amongst the rural households should be followed up by their constructive engagement in planning, execution and monitoring of various programmes of rural development. The volunteers should help in organisation of the Gram Sabha, bringing out the needs of the rural households, and facilitate fulllment of their needs in a consensual manner. They shall facilitate the Gram Sabhas to draw up prospective and annual plans under various programmes and provide the necessary support for their proper execution. Census: The volunteers will assist in maintenance of a Delivery of services: The volunteers should act as agents for the Gram Panchayats, line departments, the BDOs and the District Collectors and ensure proper facilitation in the delivery of services to the rural households attached to them. Social Audit: This is a statutory requirement under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA. It is an important tool for bringing in transparency and accountability in development administration. The volunteers should take active part in motivating the rural households in organising social audits with the help of the Gram Panchayats, BDOs and the line departments. Citizens Charter: This is an important administrative tool for informing the citizens about the services which are to be delivered to the citizens along with the standards of delivery.
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Rural Reporters: Wall newspapers and community radio can be used as powerful tools for communication of key messages of government programmes. The volunteers can act as rural reporters and help in the working of the community radio and operationalisation of wall newspapers. Vigilance and Monitoring: The volunteers will act as eyes and ears of the District Administration and maintain vigilance over the working of the various programmes.

proper data base of the rural households, SHGs, and the works being taken up under various programmes including conducting of the BPL census. Data Entry: The volunteers can also collect information on transactions taking place in the villages under various programmes and submit this to the Computer Centre at the Gram Panchayat and the Block Ofce to facilitate data entry in the programme MIS. Feedback: Regular feedback shall be sent to the Gram Panchayat and the Block Ofce regarding the state of affairs under the various rural development programmes and other allied programmes pertaining to health, education, women and child development, environment, electrication and other rural infrastructural development programmes.

Grameen Bharat
Spotlight

Rural Development, Agriculture, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises: The volunteers will act as agents of rural development in the wider sense including programmes of development of agriculture, livestock, sheries, micro, small and medium enterprises, etc. Banking Correspondents: Volunteers can also act as Banking Correspondents of the local bank, subject to conditions imposed by the bank. They may also assist the banks in recovery of loans from willful defaulters and facilitate credit access to the families. Self Help Groups: The volunteers shall act as a catalyst for mobilization of rural households into the Self Help Group movement. They shall facilitate the transfer of knowledge and skills to the members of Self Help Groups so that they can raise bank loans, take up production and trading operations and repay bank loans in a time bound manner. Health, Sanitation and Nirmal Gram: Government services relating to combating diseases (HIV, TB, malaria, diarrhoea, etc.) can be effectively reached to the rural households by the volunteers. The incidence of diseases may be reported to the doctors and para health workers like ASHA and ANMs to facilitate supply of drugs. Wherever necessary, affected persons may also be hospitalized by the volunteers. They may identify malnourished children and pregnant mothers in the attached households and ensure the supply of a vitamin fortied diet to them through Anganwadi centers. Volunteers should motivate the families to avoid open defecation and construct their private latrines so that the Gram Panchayat may be declared as Nirmal Gram. Literacy and Education: Illiterate members of the households may be identied and provided support through the literacy programmes and supplied learning materials. Volunteers should endeavour to ensure that all members of the household achieve literacy, school going children

attend school and no child is subjected to child labour. The volunteers may also work with the District Legal Services Authority to spread legal literacy among the people by organising camps and organising public meetings. Food Security: In order to ensure food security the volunteers may identify eligible households who do not have ration cards and report such cases to the Block or the Gram Panchayat. Volunteers should also report cases of non-delivery, short delivery or untimely delivery of rations by the suppliers of essential commodities. They shall utilise the resources under RKVY, NFSM, NHM, IWMP, MGNREGA, NRLM, etc. to maximize production of foodgrains, fruits and vegetables, spices, sugarcane, cotton, milk, meat, eggs and sh. House Sites and Housing: Volunteers should identify families without house sites and report the cases to the Gram Panchayat or Block or Taluks or Tehsils. They should also facilitate provision of houses to the homeless and the poor under the rural housing programme of IAY and facilitate easy ow of funds to the beneciaries from the block or GP. Natural Resources Management and Eco-restoration: Volunteers may be assigned work for proper management of natural resources by the District Administration including the Block and the Gram Panchayat. For example, the volunteers may identify barren and uncultivated lands where afforestation can be taken up. Similarly fallow and cultivable wastelands may be developed under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA or watershed development programmes to bring them under cultivation. In irrigated areas Pani Panchayats may be set up and water distribution may be rationed with the help of irrigation authorities. Volunteers may take up any other work that may be in the public interest and which can promote safety, security, and welfare of the rural population.

Grameen Bharat
Landmarks of the Month
Afghan Delegation Calls on Rural Development Minister
Shri Vilasrao Deshmukh says India will extend all possible assistance to Afghanistan for Rural Development

Shri Vilasrao Deshmukh, Ms. Agatha Sangma, Shri Pradeep Jain 'Aditya with members of the Afghan delegation A ten member delegation from Afghanistan led by its Minister for Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD), Mr. Jarullah Mansoori, called on Union Rural Development and Panchayti Raj Minister, Shri Vilasrao Deshmukh, at Krishi Bhawan on 24 January 2011. The delegation sought the co-operation of the Ministry of Rural Development in furthering Indo-Afghan cooperation in rural infrastructure development, capacity building of local institutions, technical support, skill development and empowerment of rural masses. Shri Deshmukh assured the visiting delegation of all possible assistance by the Government of India. He said that Indias learning experience through its agship programmes in rural development can be of great help to the people of Afghanistan. The Afghan Minister highlighted the signicance of age old ties between the two countries and hoped they would learn a lot so that the models can be replicated in their country. The visiting delegation was briefed about the progress under the new initiatives undertaken by the Ministry of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj in reaching out to people. The delegates evinced keen interest in the success under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, the initiative to alleviate poverty under National Rural Livelihood Mission, rural road connectivity under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, providing shelter to the rural poor under Indira Awaas Yojana, social security measures under National Old Age Pension Scheme (NOAPS) and ensuring the accessibility of potable water in rural areas under National Rural Drinking Water Programme. The delegation was led by the Minister for Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD), Mr. Jarullah Mansoori, who was accompanied by Mr. Said Habib, Parliamentary Affairs Coordinator, MRRD; Mr. Naseer Renory, Director National Rural Access Programme; Mr. Ghulam Qader, Head of Water Sanitation, and Irrigation Programme among others. Ministers of State for Rural Development Shri Pradeep Jain 'Aditya' and Ms. Agatha Sangma; Secretary Rural Development, Shri B.K.Sinha; Secretary Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation, Shri A.K.Misra; and Secretary Land Resources, Ms. Anita Chaudhary were present along with senior ofcials as a part of the Indian delegation.
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Grameen Bharat
Landmarks of the Month

Shishir Saras Mela Inaugurated

The Union Minister of State for Rural Development, Shri Pradeep Jain 'Aditya, inaugurated the Shishir Saras Mela on 19 January 2011 at Dilli Haat, near INA Market. Speaking on the occasion he said, "Events like Saras provide a proper platform for the sale of products made by rural artisans. These also provide an opportunity to interact directly with domestic and international customers, and understand their taste and preferences." He emphasised the need to strengthen such infrastructures. On this occasion Ms. Agatha Sangma, Union Minister of State for Rural Development, said that the exhibition-cum-sale mela will showcase a wide range of products by the rural artisans, craftsmen and beneciaries of Self Help Groups from all over the country. Secretary Rural Development, Shri B.K. Sinha; DG CAPART, Shri Mohammad Halim Khan; and other ofcials from the Ministry of Rural Development were also present on the occasion. T The Saras fair has been organised by the Council for Advancement of Peoples Action and Rural Technology A (CAPART) in collaboration with the Ministry of Rural ( Development. The fair aims at facilitating the Swarna D Jayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) beneciaries, J rural artisans, craftsmen, Self Help Groups and NGOs r to exhibit and sell their products and provide them t with opportunities for additional income, exposure w and interaction on a large scale. a The Shishir Saras Mela has played a major role in T Shri Pradeep Jain 'Aditya inaugurating the Shishir Saras Mela providing a platform to develop linkages between p artisans and craftsmen with buyers and customers. Around 162 stalls were set up at Dilli Haat by more than 320 swarojgaries (from BPL households) from 26 states. The special attractions included metal work products from Madhya Pradesh, Sambalpuri saris from Orissa, wood carving work from Andhra Pradesh, bamboo craft from Tripura, Madhubani paintings from Bihar, terracotta from Chhattisgarh, shawls and carpets from Jammu & Kashmir and handicrafts from Uttar Pradesh, etc. In addition cultural programmes from different states were organised every evening throughout the fair. Ms. Agatha Sangma at the inaugural ceremony of the Shishir Saras Mela

Grameen Bharat
Landmarks of the Month

NIRD Executive Council and General Council Reconstituted

The Government has reconstituted the Executive and General Council of the National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD) Hyderabad with immediate effect for a period of three years. A notication to this effect was issued by the Ministry of Rural Development on 13 January 2011. The members of the Executive Council are: Prof. M.G.K. Menon, Scientist; Dr. Y.K. Alagh, Ex-Member Planning Commission; Dr. B.A. Prakash; Shri S.S. Acharya and Dr. I.V.Trivedi, VC, MLS University, Udaipur and Padmashree Shri Anil Joshi, HESCO Dehradun. They are also members of the General Council. The other members of the General Council include: Shri Rajaiah Sircilla (MP Lok Sabha); Prof. M.S. Swaminathan (MP Rajya Sabha); Shri A.R. Khan, President PMSC Society, Rajasthan; Dr. P. Sekhar, Mumbai; Shri Rameshwar Dudi, Zila Pramukh, Bikaner (Rajasthan); Shri Vijay Shankar Vyas, Rajasthan; Shri Anna Hazare, Ahmednagar, (Maharashtra); Shri Ajit Grewal, Delhi; Shri V.N.Rajasekharan Pillai, Vice Chancellor, IGNOU, New Delhi; and Dr. C. Swaminathan, Vice Chancellor, Bharatiar University, Coimbatore. These eminent persons have made noteworthy contribution in the eld of rural development. In addition, the Secretaries of Rural Development from the states of Assam, Kerala, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Bihar who are also in charge of Rural Development/ Reconstruction or Development Commissioners have been nominated as members of the General Council. The National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD) is an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. Through its training and research activities, NIRD endeavours to upgrade knowledge and skills and to bring in required attitudes among its clientele. NIRD sensitises the elected representatives and rural development functionaries about the impact of various rural development initiatives of the Union Government and the State Governments and also about the emerging challenges in the eld of rural development.

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Awards for 'Effective Initiatives under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA'

The Government of India annual awards for 'Effective Initiatives under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA', for outstanding contributions by Mahatma Gandhi NREGA District Teams were awarded by the Honble Prime Minister, Shri Manmohan Singh and Honble Chairperson, National Advisory Council, Shrimati Sonia Gandhi, at a ceremony at Vigyan Bhavan on 2 February, 2011. Ten District Programme Coordinators (DPCs) received awards for innovative initiatives for enhancing livelihood security of households in their districts.

Innovative Application for Livelihood Security

District : Jalpaiguri, West Bengal DPC : Ms. Vandana Yadav

he tea industry had gone through several changes and a severe crisis that peaked during the rst decade of this century, resulting in a large number of sick, locked out and closed tea gardens. In March 2009, the Government

of West Bengal gave a letter of intent to a tea management group, desirous of taking over closed gardens. Despite all the benets available under various schemes, the biggest hindrances were the high labour numbers and the rundown condition of the gardens, resulting in a stalemate between the government and the tea management group. During this stalemate, a scheme was devised by the district administration for utilising the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA scheme for re-opening the gardens. It was agreed that the new management would keep all the workers on the company rolls and there would be zero retrenchment. They would give 180-240 days of regular work to the workers, including benets. A 100 days of work would be given to all workers under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA scheme concentrating on the lean season where no plucking and plantation would be allowed and only work permissible under the scheme such as land development, drainage and irrigation would be carried out. Planning for the work would be done by the Panchayat Samiti with the active involvement of the workers, community members and the new management. The assistance would continue for a limited period (three to seven years depending on the condition of the garden), ideally till the garden becomes viable and can reabsorb the full labour strength. The initiative has used Mahatma Gandhi NREGA not just as a temporary job creation scheme but as a means of securing a permanent livelihood for the people, in their own habitat and social system.

Convergence with Human Development Programmes

District : Dharwad, Karnataka DPC : Ms. C. Shikha

he Mahatma Gandhi NREGA scheme is being used to improve the Human Development Index (HDI) of Dharwad district. The parameters involved in calculating HDI are per capita income, literacy rate and longevity. With the

goal of improving the HDI of the district, literacy camps, health programmes and an insurance programme were started at the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA work sites. An honorarium of `. 750 is given to mates who start literacy programmes at work sites. With the help of ASHA, health information on health and sanitation, importance of nutrition and clean drinking water, information about various health schemes like family planning, Jannini Suraksha Yojna, immunization programmes, etc., is disseminated to workers. Folic acid tablets are also distributed to anaemic women

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Know Your Campaign
at the work site. LIC Aam Admi and Janahsree Bima Yojna scholarship schemes were framed to provide benets for the children of members of the schemes. The above experience has shown that the cost of delivery services can be reduced by synergising the efforts of multiple agencies. This model of convergence in the long-term will lead to an improvement in the overall HDI in the district.

Community-centric Development in a Challenging Physical Environment

District : North Sikkim, Sikkim DPC : Mr. P.N. Bhuta

o make the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA scheme popular and mass-based, the Chief Minister, Sri Pawan Chamling gave the maxim, afno gaon, afai banaun (lets build our village ourselves). This policy of positioning Mahatma

Gandhi NREGA as a nation building activity resulted in dignity of labour and ensured large scale participation. Consequently, not only BPL households but also APL households actively took part in this social movement. Though the guidelines permit 50% of the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA implementation to be taken up by line departments, the state government devolved 100% implementation of the programme to the Gram Panchayats and this helped in making the programme people-centric and took the form of a community led social movement. The programme shifted from planning just a few macro-works to promoting several micro-works across the mountainous terrain to encourage involvement especially of rural women.

Livelihood Generation and Improving Communal Relations

District : Kandhamal, Orrisa DPC : Mr. Sri Krishan

ealising the importance of the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA scheme in a post-conict society, the Kandhamal district administration utilised this platform for not only improving relations between various sections of society

but also for improving the livelihood asset base of the rural poor. A policy of reconciliation for providing guidance to peace committees at various levels was formulated by the district level Peace Committee. In each of the villages affected by communal violence, one labour intensive work under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA scheme was started. In this Work for Peace both communities participated in the creation of village assets of their choice. To achieve this, every rural household was empowered to participate in this scheme. Work sites were opened in most of the 2,500 villages of the district. A process of collaborative decision-making was established with all stakeholders being involved. It was decided that work supervisors or mates would be drawn from the SC and ST communities thus breaching the barriers between communities. An extensive campaign delivering the message working together for development was taken up by involving civil society organisations.
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Team Leadership
District : Barmer, Rajasthan DPC : Mr. Gaurav Goyal Barmer is a border desert district which faces acute scarcity of water. The Mahatma Gandhi NREGA scheme was launched here on 2 May 2007. There are 4.76 lakh households registered under the scheme, including more than 91,000 Scheduled Caste and 39,000 Scheduled Tribe households. Out of the 277 lakh man-days generated in the preceding nancial year, 66.67% were completed by female workers. Intensive IEC activities are being done to educate and empower people about their rights. Public representatives, voluntary organisations and community members are actively involved in planning, execution, monitoring and auditing the scheme. Awareness programmes are organised year round. Labour and material payments are done through banks and post-ofces. The scheme has enhanced livelihood security and the living standards of people living in this region. More than 50,000 water harvesting structures have been constructed and renovated. Forty-ve thousand individual water tanks or taankas with a storage capacity of 30,000 litres of rainwater have been constructed. After the last monsoon, 1343.3 million litres of rainwater was conserved and saved. In addition to harvesting structures, ood protection and plantation works have been successfully executed under the scheme.

Wage Disbursement through Mobile Banking

District : Annupur, Madhya Pradesh DPC : Mr Kavindra Kiyawat

he payment of wages to Mahatma Gandhi NREGA labourers was fraught by several inefciencies such as distance of bank from home, sometimes as far away as 30 kms, loss of a wage-day on account of travel to bank, cost of transport and the unfriendly and unhelpful attitude of bankers. To resolve the above problems a mobile banking system Aapke Bank Aapke Dwaar was launched by means of which labourers received their wages in their own neighbourhoods. The system works by sending a mobile van with the payment team to every Gram Panchayat on a specied date which is communicated at least three days in advance through various mediums. The District Central Cooperative Bank maintains a separate ledger book for each Gram Panchayat. After the payment process the payment team updates the account ledger book of the respective Gram Panchayat. The mobile banking system has been well received by the general public, especially the tribal and poor beneciaries.

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Know Your Campaign
Community Mobilisation and Participation for Livelihood Generation
District : Churachandpur, Manipur DPC : Ms. Jacintha Lazarus hurachandpur town, which houses nearly two-thirds of the districts entire population, was ravaged by the problem of water scarcity. The town draws its water supply form two water sources, the catchment areas of which are now completely barren due to the felling of trees for jhumming and timber. The district took an exemplary initiative in exploring new ground for converging the Mahatama Gandhi NREGA scheme with afforestation exercises by involving the masses in environmental conservation through planting saplings in the catchment areas. This had the benet of generating awareness through practical involvement and restoring the catchment area while also generating employment for the masses.

Addressing Latent Work Demand

District : Rajkot, Gujrat DPC : Mr. Jai Prakash Shivahare ajkot district is a highly urbanised district. Performance under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA scheme here was poor because of the general belief that this scheme was not meant for an industrial and urbanised district. A deeper examination into the cause for low demand for work, revealed that ofcials relied mainly on the sarpanchs and village level functionaries or talatis to start the works. Of all the stakeholders, the most important, the wage seekers, were peripheral to the process and hardly ever asserted their right to demand work and were poorly informed about the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA scheme. During 2009-2010 a strategy was devised to ensure that wage seekers be kept informed about opportunities. This was done by interacting with them directly in their own localities and addressing any issues or questions they might have. Through direct contact and interaction startling facts were revealed and it was found that there was a lot of hidden unemployment in the villages. Other issues that needed addressing included non-issuance of job cards, difculty in opening accounts, delays in payments and the absence of an effective grievance redressal mechanism. The main challenge thus was to break this vicious cycle by educating and empowering the wage seekers about their right to work. The strategy that worked best was oneto-one interpersonal communication.

Mobilising a Marginalised Community and Empowering Women

District : Sant Ravidas Nagar Bhadhoi, Uttar Pradesh DPC : Ms. Surendra Singh ant Ravidas Nagar Bhadhoi is the smallest district of Uttar Pradesh. Poverty and unemployment is rampant in the district. Out of the total population, 51% of the population is below the poverty line and 21% belong to the schedule caste community. Most of the people from the weaker section are landless and are engaged as agricultural labourers, carpet weavers or as migrant workers in the urban metros. Their daily earnings amount to about ` 60. The launch of the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA scheme on 1 April, 2008 was a great boon for the local people. Working in the scheme not only increased their earnings, allowed them to stay at home but also reduced expenditure on housing and travel to the cities, thus increasing their net savings three fold.
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Grameen Bharat
Quiz
Check your Knowledge about Mahatma Gandhi NREGA

1) When was the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA passed by the Indian Parliament?
a) 26th August 2004 b) 23rd August 2004 c) 23rd August 2005 d) 26th August 2005

2) When was the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act Notied?
a) 8th September 2005 b) 6th September 2005 c) 5th September 2005 d) 7th September 2005

4) Which state had passed an Employment Guarantee Act in 1976?

a) Rajasthan b) Madhya Pradesh c) Maharashtra d) Gujarat

3) Does the present Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act have any precedence?
a) Yes b) No

5) Is there a limit on the number of days of guaranteed employment over the year?
a) 100 days b) upto 100 days c) 200 days d) 150 days

ANSWERS

4) C 2) D 1) C 3) A
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5) B

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In the News...

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