Wednesday, 14 November 2012

Hume Mila Hamara Hak



Profile:
Name of Gram Panchayat:- Junsutty
Name of Villages:- Junsutty, Daniya Nagla, Seetanagala, and Radhe Nagala)
Block:- Mathura
District:- Mathura
State :- Uttar Pradesh
Junsutty Grama Panchayat is 15 K.M. away from Mathura block. The major sources of income of households are agriculture and livestock rearing. The  women are mostly house wives and involved in farming, rearing livestock (cow and buffalo) etc. Paddy & wheat crops are chiefly grown in these areas.  
Situation before intervention  
General public had scant knowledge on importance of job cards and its use, provisions etc. Both Pradhan and Rojgar sewak did not tried to motivate the people to avail job cards and obtaining job that would have been diminished poverty in rural families. It was observed that almost all job cards were partially filled with mandatory information such as Job card number, dates of work and so on. Majority of HHs were not getting work under MNREGA as they did not have knowledge on how to process application. Since people were not demanding jobs through written application, scope of corruption and favouritism arouse. Consequently, service providers exploited the situation maximum and given work for their well-wishers whereas job was credited into other job card holders. In addition, eligible people neither received even 30 days jobs nor stipulated wages on time. Due to lack of knowledge among community on MNREGA, Pradhan turned to be the custodian of job cards and did as he wishes. 
Intervention 
During base line survey, ADHIKAR team got firsthand information on status of MNREGA and how far it reaches to the real beneficiaries. As a result, ADHIKAR team decided to motivate the community to make use of their job cards and avail jobs under MNREGA. Street plays, corner meetings, awareness classes, celebration of Independence Day with special focus on right to work were organized in the villages where 300 people made aware of MNREGA and its provisions. Consequently, 5 villagers put RTI application to get the status of people own job cards. According to the block office, 369 job cards have been already issued and 300 people are not having job cards. In fact, 90% of issued job cards were holding Pradhan and 50 % of the community do not have job cards. As a result, literally, almost 80% villagers were not getting the benefit of Job cards and MNREGA provisions.
Turning Point
ADHIKAR project team along with 3 villagers met Block Development Officer and convinced him about the malfunctioning of MNREGA in Junsutty Grama Panchayat. BDO enquired about the matter to Pradhan over phone but he denied. Again BDO informed Pradhan on his visit to cross check MNREGA functioning as well as availability of job cards with beneficiaries. As a result, Pradhan had distributed all job cards to the beneficiaries within one night.

Challenges faced
Unfavourable attitude of Pradhan in materializing MNREGA in an infallible manner was a challenge.

How challenges were overcome
The project staff oriented the community again and briefed them by showing the reply of RTI filed by community. Also staff ensured the support of Block Development Officer in realizing MNRGEA in favour of needy.

Present status or changed situation
350 people could retrieve their job cards from Pradhan and they started to apply for job as per the norms. Also people who do not have job cards put application for obtaining the same. Since Government authorities are convinced on the malfunctioning of MNREGA, they have decided to hold a social audit in Junsutty.   

Courtesy: Agra Catholic Diocese Samaj Seva Sansta

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