Ahmedabad: UPA government's flagship
scheme for providing livelihood to the poor in rural areas,
NREGS has helped arresting the flow of distress migration
from rural to urban areas, a city-based NGO has found in a
study.
A study conducted by Disha of 938 families in Gujarat,
Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra has found that
those who got work under NREGS (National Rural Employment
Guarantee Scheme) did not have to migrate from the rural
areas.
"Our study has revealed that 72 percent respondents
have said that the problem of migration has softened because
of the employment scheme," Disha's director Paulomee Mistry
said at a press conference in Ahmedabad.
According to her, the respondents said that after
the employment scheme was implemented, they have been getting
work from 70 to 100 days a year and as a result, they do not
have to migrate seasonally for work in urban centres.
Over 80 percent respondents said that they preferred
NREGS work rather than migrating to the urban centres, Mistry
said while sharing the findings of the survey.
"Another interesting finding of the study is that in
Gujarat, 25 percent families in all six districts included in
the survey, were unemployed seasonally before the scheme was
introduced and 55 percent families were under-employed,"
Mistry said.
However, 64 percent of those who get works outside
the NREGS are not getting Rs 100 as minimum wage while NREGS
workers receive the minimum wage of Rs 100 as fixed by the
government.
The study has also found some loopholes like delay in
payments, refusal of works by the officials and not issuing of
job cards.
"Around 88 percent respondents said that they got
job cards but state wise figures differ," Mistry said, adding,
"There are also inconsistencies in measuring works done by the
workers, wage payment is delayed sometimes for months and
facilities at the work place are not available as prescribed
under the guidelines."
"Secondly, people are still not involved in the
decision making process, in selection of the works and
contractors and machines are still used despite that they are
banned under the law," she added.
Bureau Report
First Published: Friday, September 25, 2009, 23:18