Monday, January 24, 2011

Impact of Watershed works of MGNREGA on poverty alleviation – a micro level study. S.KRISHNAN

( copy of the paper presented in a workshop held at NIRD on 21-22 JAN-2011 in the topic of Watersheds and Poverty Alleviation)
Impact of Watershed works of MGNREGA on poverty alleviation – a micro level study.
S.KRISHNAN
Introduction
In India, our rural masses lack the basic infrastructure facilities to sustain their life. Rural India constitutes about 72 percent of the total population. Their small holdings provide them with minimal yield to support their existence. The opportunities to have better standard of living in rural areas of our country are minimal. Eradication of poverty and unemployment, both interrelated, still remains an elusive goal for most developing countries. So, the Indian policy makers had foreseen that the menace of growing population and lack of employment opportunities in the country would create a serious situation of unemployment. The private sector will not be able to cope up with the growing unemployment. It would, therefore be the duty of the state to generate employment opportunities.
The Right to work is referred in the constitution of India under the Directive Principles of state policy. Article 43 of the constitution of India requires, overall, the elected government of the state to secure for all its citizens work, a living standard of life. It has been stressed under article 41 that the state shall with in the limits of it, economic capacity and development, make effective provision of securing the right of work..India accounts for an over whelming number of the poor in the world. Out of the 456 million poor people in the country 75percent are living in the rural areas. About 25 percent rural households have no income generating assets and 80 percent of farmers being small and marginal, have inadequate land or poor quality of assets with meager or no irrigation facilities. The problem of perpetual and pernicious poverty, more particularly in the rural areas, has been deeply rooted among rural households during half of the year. Chronic unemployment for a large part of the year is prevalent in tribal desert and drought prone areas. The situation becomes very pathetic when the monsoon fails.
Unemployment
The NSSO (61st round) reveals that the unemployment rate based on current status in 2004-05 for female is 8.7 percent in the rural areas and 11.6 percent in the urban areas. The labour force will increase by 520 lakhs during the 11th plan period based on the growth of working age population. If the current trend of more women seeking jobs continues, mostly in rural areas, the labour force will be around 650 lakhs. This increase will be in addition to the current 350 lakhs unemployed. So India has to provide employment to around 1000 lakhs people. Most of them in rural areas.
Origin of the scheme
The employment programmes usually create causal jobs and work more as supplementary source of employment in times of crisis. An evaluation of the SGRY done by the urban rural development ministry in 2004 finds that 14.3 percent officials, across the states in India, reported the use of contractor in the implementation of the scheme thus reducing employment and increasing corruption. In Orissa according to the evaluation 92.4 percent of works was implemented through contractors.
The EGS of Maharastra is the only precedent to NREGA with guarantee clause. Its performance remains bench mark for both success and failure. Maharastra has spent over Rs. 10,824 crores on its EGS programme from 1975 to 2005,covering 27831 gram panchayats in its 33 districts. Maharastra’s EGS is a typical example of the problems marring our wage employment programmes.
Between 1975 to 2005 a total of 580244 EGS works were undertaken ranging from minor irrigation to afforestation the maximum being of soil conservation and land development (367065)
In this regard, an initiative taken up by the Govt. of India is going to create history. The Govt launched a statutory National Rural Employment Scheme in February 2006, in the selected, poor rural 200 districts of the country. It was further extended to 113 districts in April 2007 and it is now operational in all the 614 districts from April 2008.
OBJECTIVES
The objective of the act is to enhance livelihood security in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
Performance of NREGA
Over the four years since it became operational, the NREGA (2005) has had a positive impact on the levels of millions of people across the poorest district in the country. In particular, it holds the powerful prospect of bringing major changes in the lives of women. It has been rechristened as the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme on the occasion of the 140th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in October 2009. Ratna M. Sundarshan (2010) observed from his field work that many women have been persuaded to come out of house for work for the first time in response to this programme in both Rajasthan and Kerala. In Malapuzha, Kerala the scheme has encouraged widows and elderly women to participate. The potential of the programme allowing women to make some savings was observed every where.


Table 1.1 Employment Status of NREGA – 2006 – 07 – 2010 – 11

Details 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11
(18.12.2010)
Total Job cards issued 3.76 6.48 9.44 10.72 10.24
Employment provided to households 2.10 3.39 4.50 4.07 3.71
Person Days total 90.5 143.59 214.56 165.72 124.98
(in crores)
SCS 22.95 39.36 62.88 33.54 28.34
ST’s 32.98 42.07 54.51 27.92 21.33
Women 36.79 61.15 102.73 77.50 64.68
Others 34.56 62.16 97.17 104.26 75.31
Source www.nrega.nic.in
So far the scheme has provided employment to 17.77crores of households and generated 739.35 crores of persondays from its inception.
Water conservation works of MGNRGES
The study on soil and water conservation works through MGNREGS in Andhra Pradesh by K.Kareemulla et al (2009) reveals that in Andhra Pradesh, soil and water conservation works(SWC) have accounted for over 80 percent. The share of labour wages under the scheme has been 80 percent with only 20 percent for material, which is well within the prescribed norm of 40 percent for the later. The field survey in the Ananthapur District has indicated that almost two-thirds of the beneficiaries are farmers. The scheme has brought down the migration level from about 27 percent to only 7 percent in the study villages. The linear regression function has brought out that the number of family members participating in the MGNREGS earnings are is significantly influenced by income from other sources, family size and land holdings.
The study of Centre for science and environment (2008) reveals that NRGEA has had a positive impact on agriculture in the districts through improved access to irrigation. Prior to NREGA, sources for irrigation were very few only one crop was sown in Rabi. Post MGNREGA with the construction of ponds, tanks and wells on SC,ST land, irrigation facilities have shown a marked improvement. A number of households have even diversified into the cultivation of vegetables. A number of SC,ST households reported a second crop in Karif along with a crop in Rabi Season. The respondents of Sidhi District of Madya Pradesh have reported an increase in area after the work under MGNREGA over the last 2 years. Around 55% of the respondents together report an increase of 371.6 acres area under crops. This land was previously left fallow. There has been a change in cropping pattern as well with a number of respondents switching over to wheat, rice in a few cases from traditional millets. Around 55% of the respondents reported diversification of crops over previous years. Crops like jowar. Bajre, Kodo, Makka and Arhar have been replaced by wheat, gram and vegetables due to increased irrigation availability.

IT reveals that out of the 2,62,902 works completed during the year 2010-11, 212, 605 works were water conservation works .It amounts to 73% of the total work in National level. At the same time on the part of onging works water conservation works constitutes 79% to the total. In Tamilnadu 68% of the total expenditure on completed works were spent on water conservation works and it also constitutes 83% in the ongoing works.
Water conservation works are given more importance than other works. In Madurai District 90% of works taken up were water conservation works. In the Block level, the Thiruppurankundram Block has taken 88 percent of works on water conservation which achieves the MGNREGA goals laid down in MGNREGA guidelines – 2008

Objectives
The objectives of the study is(i) to identify that the investment made on the watershed works and changes in the cultivation area, cropping pattern. (ii)To analyze the Quantum of employment generated in the village level (iii)and to analyze the extent of gross root democracy.
Methodology
The Madurai District has two Development Divisions with 13 Blocks.The study has selected purposively based on the 90 percent of MGNREGA works are related to minor irrigation works.The present study follows descriptive method which describes the current status of the MGNREGA scheme.The study is based on primary and secondary data and the data were analysised using simple percentage method. The study village Vadivelkarai is located in Thiruppurankundaram block of Madurai South Taluk in Madurai District – Tamil Nadu.
The total households as per 2001 census is 470 and its population is 2001 among which 1033 male 968 female. The total scheduled caste population of the village is 312 (male 153, female 159). The literates of the village is 1299 which constitutes 64 percentage to the total population.
As per the House demand register as on date 650 Household are in the village, out of which 125 (19% ) are scheduled caste.
Table 2.1 classification of workers as per 2001 census
Cultivators 100 (5%)
Agricultural labours 202 (10%)
Other Workers 429 (22%)
Marginal Workers 202 (10%)
Non Workers 1068 (53%)
Total 2001 (100%)


The total geographical area of the village is 203.25 hectares.
Table 2.2 Land classification (in hectares)
Details 2009-1418
Fasali 2010-1419 Fasali
1) Forest - -
2) Barren and uncultivable land - -
3) Land put to non agricultural use 75.16.5 75.16.5
4) Cultivatable waste - -
5) Permanent pastures and other grazing land - -
6) Land under misc.trees and groves - -
7) Current follows 3.10.5 3.70.5
8) Other follows 67.69.0 50.60.5
9) Net area sown 57.29.5 73.78.0
10) Geographical area 203.25.5 203.25.5
11) Total Cropped area 57.29.5 73.78.0
Source – Village “G” Written Fasali 1418,1419.
Table 2.3 Cropping pattern (in hectares)
Crops 1418
Fasali 1419
Fasali
Paddy 53.94 70.53.5
Chillies 0.05 -
Sugar cane 0.98.5 1.00.5
Banana 0.65.5 1.50.5
Brinjal 0.93.5 -
Coconut 0.69.5 0.70.0
Tamarind - 0.03.0
Mango - 0.00.5
Total 57.26.0 73.78.0
Rain fall 909.5 524.5
Source: Village “G” written Fasali 1418,1419.


Table 2.4 works taken up in the study village under MGNREGS
Sl.No Name of the works Year 2008-09
Rs. in lakhs Year 2009-2010
Rs. in lakhs
1) Channel Improvement – Niliyoor channel 3.40 -
2) Vadivel Kari minor irrigation tank Deepening 10.00 14.00
3) Mailanendal minor irrigation tank Deepening 3.20 11.00
4) Keeladi Channel Improvement - 5.50
5) Pudukkulam Channel Improvement - 3.55
Total 16.60 34.05
Source : Primary data collected in the field .
Impact of MGNREGS in the study village
The Gram sabha has approved the works to renovate the water bodies of the village. The president and the people implemented the work in full faith. During the deepening of the village tank with help of the village people vacated the encroachment by private persons in the catchment area of around 10 acres of land were vacated. Due to this, the storage capacity of the village tank has increased and it has reflected in the cultivation of paddy area. The area of cultivation of paddy has increased from 57.29.5 hectares to 73.78 hectares. The rainfall during this period has decreased from 909.5mm to 524.5mm. The little rainfall has been properly stored and the cultivation area has increased. Due to the increased storage of water the area left as fallow during the previous year, was brought into cultivation this year. Due to the deepening of tanks the cultivation area increased from 28% to 36% to the total area of the village.This impact accrued due to the implementation of the MGNREGA in the study area.
Impact of paddy production
The paddy cultivation area has increased from 54 hectares to 71 hectares, this means an increase of 17 hectares of paddy cultivation. The production per hectare of paddy in Tamilnadu during 2008-09 was 2682kg.Therefore paddy cultivation has increased to the level of 45594 kg in the village. This impact in turn has increased the income of the cultivators and their purchasing power.

Impact on people participation
The gram panchayat has placed the work plan of deepening of Vadivelkarai minor irrigation work in the gram sabha. Few persons have objected to take up this work, because they have illegally occupied the catchment area of the tank and the area used for cultivation. Because of the strong commitment of the panchayat president and panchayat clerkand with the support of the people of the village the programme could be implemented successfully.


Table 2.5 MGNREGA status in the study area.
Job cards issued Persondays generated Total
2009-10 2010-11 2009-2010 2010-11 up
1) SC 84 86 3887 3491 7378
2) Others 305 332 13703 11358 25061
3) Total 397 418 17590 14849 32439
4) Women - - 15706 13141 28847
5) H.Hs got employment 291 334 625 - -
6) H.Hs.Completed 100 days employment - - 63 25 88
7) Average wage paid 80 95 ---
Source : Primary data collected in the field
During the year 2009-10 there were 397 household registered for employment under MGNREGA which constitutes 61 percent to the total households of the village (House demand register).Further out of the total housholds 67 percent of them register under MGNREGA during 2009-10 and it increased by 2%(69 percent)during 2010-2011.This shows that the coverage of SC households has increased.
During the year 2009-10 291 household were got employment which represents 73 percent to the total registered households. During the year 2010-11 it has increased to 80 percent of the total household registered. This also shows increased involvement of people in the scheme.
17590 man days of employments were generated during the year 2009-10 and it is 14849 during the current financial year. In the village, work was sanctioned during 2008-2009 but work started in 2009-10. The scheme has generated 32439 person days of employment through MGNREGA from its inception to the villagers. The work undertaken in the programme were helped to renovate and conserve the water bodies and water channels.
conclusion:
Agriculture is the backbone of Indian economy, and the goal of MGNREGA is making sustainable development of agricultural economy, by strengthening the natural resource base of the villages. This has been fully achieved in this village. The MGNREGA has increased the cultivation area even though rain fall has been less. So, the water conservation work directly provided employment and indirectly improved the standard of living of the farmers by making changes in cropping pattern.

Reference :
1) Kareemulla .K., Srinivas Reddy.K., Ramarao C.A., Shalander Kumar and Venkateswarlu.B. `Soil and water conservation works through national rural employment Guarantee scheme (NREGS) in Andhra Pradesh. An analysis of livelihood impact`. Agricultural Economic Research Review Vol.22 2009 pp 443-450.
2) Naganagoud S.P. and Uliveppa H.H `Rural Poverty alleviation in India : Contribution of MGNREGA` mainstream July 30,August 5 2010 – p 31-34.
3) Kataria.S.K., `Developing Social Capital through NREGS` social welfare August 2010 pp 12-17.
4) Krishnan.S. Poverty in India www.keetru.com
5) www.nrega.nic.in
6) Vadivelkarai village G Written Fasali 1418,1419.
7) Centre for Science and environment report prepared for the ministry of Rural development Govt of India-2008.
8) Statistical Handbook-Thirupparankundram Block 2008-09.
9) Prasanta Bauri ”NREGA:Growth of sustainable rural economyand livelihood security-a case study of purulia district” Economic Affairs:vol-55 No.2 june,2010 p 168-179.
10) Amita Shah and Sunny Jose”Asset creation and local economy under NREGs:Scope and Challengs” Working Paper No.193. April 2009.



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HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN UNORGANISED SECTORS-GOVT INITIATIVES- A CASE ANALYSIS

HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN UNORGANISED SECTORS-GOVT INITIATIVES- A CASE ANALYSIS S.KRISHNAN (copy of the draft paper presented in the National level seminar held atGRI-Gandhigram In march 2010)

INTRODUCTION
In 1948, the world community spoke through the United Nations Organization (UNO) by establishing a framework for human awareness and protection with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This was the first time that the protection of human rights was officially declared an international responsibility. Since then, human rights education and awareness has taken sort in countries all over the world. The UDHR is based on the values that are shared by ancient philosophies and many religious traditions, especially the idea that with our individual rights of other human beings. UNO’s article 25 says that “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services and the rights to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, widowhood, old age or other lack of circumstances beyond his control.” Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.
UNORGANISED LABOUR
Unorganized labour is defined as those workers who have not been able to organize themselves in pursuit of their common interest due to certain constraints like casual nature of unemployment, ignorance and illiteracy, small and scattered size of establishments etc .
As per the survey carried out by the NSSO in the year 1999-2000 the total employment in both organized and unorganized sector in the country was the order of 39.7crore. Out of this, about 2.8 crore were in the organized sector and the balance 36.9 crore in the unorganized sector. Out of 36.9 crore workers in unorganized sector 23.7 crore workers in agricultural sector, 1.7 crore in construction, 4.1 crore workers in manufacturing and 3.7 crore each in trade and transport, communication and service.
CLASSIFICATION OF WORKERS
Unorganized workers may be categorized under the following four broad heads
*occupation
*nature of employment
*specially distressed categories
*services categories
Small and marginal farmers,landless agricultural labourers,fishermen, those who are engaged in animal husbendary,beedi making,building and construction works,weavers,artisans etc, may come under first category.Attached agricultural labourers,bonded labourers,migrant workers,contract and casual labourers come under the second category.Toddy tappers,scavengers,carriers of head loads,loaders and unloaders,belong to the specially distressed category.Midwives,domestic workers,barbers,vegetable and fruit vendors,newspaper vendors etc,comes under the service category.
CHARACTRISTICS OF UNORGANISED LABOUR
*The unorganized sector suffers from cycles of excessive seasonably of employment.
*Majority of the rural workers do not have stable and durable avenues of employment.
*There is no formal employer-employee relationship
*Workers in the unorganized sector are usually surrounded by a lot of fads,and outmoded social customs like child marriage,excessive spending on ceremonial festivels which leads to indebtedness and bondage.
*There is no authentic data on unorganized workers.
* It contributes 60% of GDP.
* Unskilled labour of much work.
* Absolute poverty of workers.
* Most works are unregulated and the markets for their labour are far from unstructured.

POVERTY AND HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION
Based on the above interpretations the human rights violations are taking place in everywhere in unorganized sector in the form of wage, employment, education, refusing to accept the social and cultural values of the human. Poverty is also a human right violation. poverty violates human dignity and human dignity is the foundation for all human rights. People living in poverty are often faced with feelings of fear, powerlessness and dependency. They are often unable to participate in the decisions that affect them or the community they live in. Upholding both social and economic rights and the civil and political rights of people in poverty are important when attempting to eliminate poverty. It is important because, violations are inter-related. Social and economic rights are imp without being able to meet people’s basic needs such as sustenance, education and health-care, people will continue to be marginalized. Extreme need for basic sustenance, education and health-care, often means that they are unwilling to exercise their civil and political rights.
According to the planning commission report, 28% of the people are living below the poverty line in India. N.C. saxena Committee reports as 50% and tendulkar committee reports as 42% are living below the poverty line in India.

According to Arjun K Sengupta chirman National commission for enterprises in the unorganized sector, poverty in India is 80%.He further says “poverty is a human rights violation.poverty is not a function of income only.From the point of view we define poverty as a denial or violation of basic human rights because it violates your dignity. IMF and WORLD BANK are not accepting human rights as a legal rights and their Articles of Agreement do not talk about human rights.He asked this institutions to amend the Articles of Agreement. By late they have realized that as their business is development they have to amend their policies to make them consistent with human rights standards.
Punjab State human rights commission(PCHR) received a total of 17144 complaints of human rights violations in 2005.According to the National Commission of human rights of India “More than 62000 human rights violations are recorded annually ,On average,two dalits are assaulted every hour, three dalit women and children are raped ,two dalits are murdered and at least two dalits are tortured or burned every day “.According to “Charter of Dalit Human Rights” drawn up by the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights describes the numerous violations of rights of Dalits. The Indian GOVT must be held accountable for the structural denial of 260 million men,women and children of their right to access to resources to maintain their livelihood,to education,adequate health care and the right to participate in institutions.Dalitt women’s labour is labeled as unskilled,and therefore,unrecoganised,underpaid,even unpaid.About 85% Dalit women work in agricultural sector,which is unorganized and does not have facilities of social securities,found in other organized sector,such as maternity benefits,medical support,etc.Dalit mothers have to bring their infant children with them to work in fields where there are no child care facilities.Sometimes they are not allowed to do this, and loss their jobs in the agricultural sector.
GOVT... INITIATIVES
To safeguard the people from human rights violations the govt… has enacted much legislation to provide the social, economical, cultural rights to the unorganized labourers.
It starts from minimum wages act 1948, the workmen’s compensation act 1923, and the maternity benefit act 1961, the employment provident funds and miscellaneous provisions act 1952, building and other construction workers act 1996,building and other construction workers welfare cess act 1996,inter state migrant workmen act 1979,protection of civil rights (PCR) act 1995,scheduled caste and scheduled tribes(POA)act 1989,and rules 1995,protection of human rights act 1993,right to information act 2005,National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005are directly Safeguards the unorganized labours. There are some employment oriented schemes like swarne-jayanthi gram swarojgar yogana, pradhanmanthiri gram sadak yojana, sampoorna gramim rojgar yojana, Employment Assurance scheme.According to official data in 2009-2010 NREGA provided employment to 45 million households, each households earning about Rs.4000 on an average.
Even after the various measures taken by the Govt to improve the economic conditions of the unorganized labourers. Still they are not entitled to practice their social and cultural rights because of existing social customs in the villages. The social rights claimed by particular community are analyzed in this case study.

DETAILS OF THE STUDY
T.veppankulam , a tiny village 15km away from kariapatty block of virudhunagar district, where the dalits claimed their rights to take photo in a govt scheme-Kalingar Maruthuva Kaapeetu Thittam in a first come first serve basis, they are not only refused their rights and also threatened their life by the dominated caste people of that village.Due to their atrocity , the dalits vacated their houses and stayed in kariapatty-the taluk head quarters, for more than 50days
Objetivs of the study
* To examine the Socio-Economic conditions of the Dalits.
* To study the reason for the conflict.
* To study the steps taken by the Govt… administration to resettle them in their village.
* To study the social, cultural values that affects the rights of these village human beings.
*To find the solution for the proplem
GIST OF THE CASE
On 3.10.09 the next day of Gandhiji’s Birthday the officials of the Govt were registering the beneficiaries and taking photo in the in the panchayat union school. During the time the dominate caste members bypassed the queue and taken photo, this was questioned by Muniyandi s/o Veeran belonging to scheduled caste youth. Kannan s/o Maniyan used fifthly language and scolded by caste name of Muniyandi resulted wordy quarrel arised .The verbal exchange led to violence, five Dalit men, including V.Muniyandi, a wage labourer, were badly beaten . Muniyandi says “As usual they made casteist remarks against us and began to tharash us”.The terror did not stop there,Fearing that the Dalits would file an FIR against them,the caste Hindus surrounded their houses and refused to led them out.Those who had got in state transport buses were also forcibly made to step down.Muniyandi was again beaten up by a 40 - member group with slippers and sticks when he tried to meet his wife at a nearby house. Around 6.00pm he managed to escape to Kariyapatty 15-Km away ,when his wife wrapped him in her sari and smuggled him in to a bus.On 04.10.09 all others vacated their residence and stayed at Kariyapatti-Taluk headquarters.The police registered a case in A.Mukkulam police station crime no 114/09 u/s 147,148,294(b),323,355,324,506(ii)IPC r/w 3 (i)x of SC/ST (POA)act 1989 against 21 persons.
The District administration has taken various steps to resettle them in their original residence.13.10.09 and 22.10.09 Peace Meeting by RDO Aruppukottai. The Collector of Virudhunagar has personally taken care to safeguard the civil rights of the Dalits and made them to settle their village on 2.1209, and conducted a Peace meeting along with all groups.During the meeting Manokaran s/oMayandi made disturbance to the meeting .The V.A.O made a complaint against him and he was arrested on the day itself. The monetary relief of Rs 25000 / each for 26 persons and Rs,6250/ each for 4 persons were sent to Govt under SC/ST(POA)Act 1989.A community borewell exclusively for Dalits with an estimated cost of Rs 1.97 for Irrigation is sanctioned,and a Modern Latrine for Dalits is also sanctioned.
Findings of the study
The dalits are minority in this village and they constitute only 12% of the total households.
The main occupation of the two third of the affected group is agricultural coolly
Only one percent of the Dalits are farmers and having less than one heactares.
Among the 30 Dalits households 50% of the head of households are illiterates,even those who are literates are studied up to primery level,only one boy is studing +1 in the nearby school he is the highest qualified person in dalits.
Among the 30 households 3 are small farmers,20 are agricultural labourers,4 are masions,and the remaining 3 are construction labourers.
All the dalits are having own house constructed under JVVT schemes.
All the dalits are having job card and employed on an average of 50 days under NREGA scheme.
All the women are agricultural labourers,but 95% of land is owned by dominated groups.
Due to their poor economic conditions they depend upon dominated caste for their occupation.
The District administration has taken various measures by means of registering cases, conducting peace meeting, releasing financial assistance and creating communal assets like irrigation bore well and modern latrine.
Asian human rights commission (ACHR) summaries, that caste discrimination continues unabated in India. Even positive reservation made with the intent of mainstreaming the dalit community does not solve the problem, the control of the upper caste by way of employment, social,cultural,political customs still make the obstacles in the way of dalits upliftents.


Conclusion
No Country can ignore the plight of unorganized labour of its population. The unorganized labourers in India must be considered as equal citizens with equal rights. For this the government of India must recognize that development must be carried out through a bottom-up approach, rather then spending billions in developing satellite cities catering for the neo-rich middle class. A Country like India, which is rich in food reserves, has no excuse to justify a single death from starvation. Each death from starvation in India must be considered as a stain on democracy. A hundred deaths from starvation a year must prove that India is a failed democracy. So the unorganized sector should be given more importance. The Only way to solve the problem is creating more and more employment opportunities and industries with more employment. Improvement of the unskilled labourers by training will also improve the economic conditions. If economic conditions improved than they will fight for their rights in right sense.
SOURCES
1. Mapping India’s world of unorganized labour- Social register 2001. Barbara Harriss, White and Nandini Gooptu.
2. Poverty estimates and food entititlements -Jean Dreze , The HINDU dt 24.02.10
3. Dalits the poor and NREGA- , The HINDU dt 12.09.09
4. I’m a little nervous about NREGA-2-Josy Joseph. www.dnaindia.com
5. Why is poverty a human rights violation? www.angelfire.com
6. Unorganized labour –labour Bureau Simla. www.labourbureau.com
7. Poverty is aviolation of human rights The Hindu Dt 18.11.2005
8. India Human Rights Report 2006- www.Asian Centre for Human Rights.htm
9. The Indian Express.Madurai. Dt 18.10.09
E mail id www.suki.madurai@y

IMPACT OF MGNREGA ON THE STANDARD OF LIVING OF THE RURAL PO

(copy of the research proposal submitted to GRI-Gandhigram for doing Phd.)
INTRODUCTION

In India, our rural masses lack the basic infrastructure facilities to sustain there life, rural India constitutes about 72 percent of the total population. Their small land holdings provide them with minimal yield to support their existence. The opportunities to be better standard of living in rural areas of our country are minimal.
The strategy of rural development viz. improving the economic conditions of the individual rural poor and investments to develop overall economy of an area are being given increasing importance in our planning process. The objective are to solve the problems of unemployment, under employment and poverty which are the major factors hunting the Socio-economic development of the country in ordered to achieve the goals of growth with Social Justice. Several schemes have been taken up in the matter of rural development with a view to ensure Social Justice. But these programmes have neither reduced the poverty levels in a sustainable manner nor have they expanded the labour absorption capacity of the main stream economy in any significant scale.

Attempts to reduce the income poverty in India since the 1970's followed two distinct approaches. While one approach considered privately owned asset based strategy aiming to increase incidence of self employment through schemes like IRDP, ITDP, TRYSEM, the other approach concentrated on wage-based strategy through providing employment to rural poor for creation of protective assets owned publicly. Schemes like NREP, RLEGP, JRY, EAS, fell under the second category. Both the asset based and employment based interventions were characterized by a large-scale leakge of resources in to the hands of individuals who managed a space for themselves between the source of funds and the intended recipients. To arrest the leakages and to improve the income level of the rural masses the parliament enacted an act No:42 of 2005, called the National Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) which received the accent of the president on 5th September 2005. The Act came into force on February 2006 in 200 districts of backward areas of India and extended to another 100 districts in 2007 and it has further extended to all the districts of India in 2008. The prime goal of the scheme is providing 100 days of wage employment to those claim employment in the appropriate authority, in the absence of providing employment the act instructs the authority to provide unemployment allowances.
TITLE OF THE STUDY.

Impact of NREGA on The Standard of living of Rural Poor.


STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Improvement in standard of living in rural poor in developing countries like India is a global challenge. At the end of the Ninth five year plan (1997-2002) 26.1% of country's total population was living below poverty line. In rural area it was 27.1 percent to the total population. The overall employment rate is estimated to 7.32 percent. The rate of growth of women unemployment in the rural area is 9.8%. This is because of low growth rate of new and productive employment (Das 2003). The world bank's (2005) estimates shows that 80% of India's population lives below the international poverty line of $2 a day. India ranks 80th in this list of 94 countries. According to Suresh dendulker committee report that 37.2%(40.71crore)lives below poverty line in India. Based on June2010 data, there were 859 lakh families lives below poverty line in India.
The labour force will increase by 520 laksh during the 11th plan period based on the growth of working age population. If the current trend of more women seeking jobs continues, mostly in rural areas, the labour force will be around 650 lakhs. This increase will be in addition to the current 350 lakhs unemployed. So, India has to provide employment to around 1000 lakhs people most of them in rural areas. According to the planning commission assessment India cannot provide full employment but may approach to generate 650 lakhs employment, to bring the unemployment rate.
Therefore in this perspective, it was felt that, ad hoc schemes like JRY, SGRY etc., would not achieve our objectives. And it become essential to redesign the strategy to address the shortcomings and also to derive programmes from the premise of law. The parliament enacted the NREGA law in 2005. Undoubtedly this is the largest ever public employment programme visualized in human history. This act has brought about a paradigm shift both in design and the approach of intervention mechanisms of wage employment programmes. The essence of the Act is "to provide for the enhancement of livelihood security of the households in rural areas of the country by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to every households whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work".Aganist this backdrop, this study attempts to examine the performance of the NREGA programme in the District of Tamilnadu in generating sustainable assets and employment opportunities and their by improving the standard of living of rural poor.
Issues to be Analysised:
i. Whether NREGA generated 100 days of employment as per the act ?.
ii. How for it has improved the income of the family?.

iii. Is there any shift in the expenditure pattern of family?.

iv. Has it made any impact on empowerment of women, and their status?

v. Has it created constructive social assets? .

vi. This will be analysised during the course of study.


REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE :

A number of literature based on empirical studies are available on the role of NREGA in achieving livelihood security and promoting sustainable development.These studies depicts that NREGA programme has shown mixed results so far in whole rural India.Mathur(2007) argues in favour of NREGA that it has marked the beginning of momentous changes in the lives of the rural poor.He shows that migration has reduced in several villages in Andhra Pradesh,Chattisgarh,Orissa and Rajasthan,wes lessthan minimum wage were raised in many states,the participation of women increased significantly even in the districts of Rajesthan and Uthara Pradesh.
Ambasta et al (2008) made an attempt to focus on the quality of assets under NREGA works. They point out that the quality of the assets was poor. Farm bunding has been initiated without any proper technical planning because which the quality of work was shoddy.In Tikamgarh,plants have already died because no arrangement was made for water.So,the poor quality of assets makes a hinderance in achiving sustainable development.
On the otherhand,Chakaraborty(2007) observes that employment guarantee is abysmally low in Maharastra,Karnataka,Bihar,and Jharkhand.It is noted that while for Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat the supply of employment has meet the demand,for most other states enrolment falls for short of demand.
Prasanta Basuri(2010)reveals that the villagers never got 100 days of employment, got around 30 days of work, however not continuously , the wages also paid after along time. So rural livelihood security of the Burulia district West Bengal still in problem after the implementation of NREGA. He also finds that the labour cost and material cost(60:40) ratio makes hindrance towards real asset creation.
Ratna M.Sudarshan(2010)observed from field work was that many women have been persuaded to come out of house for work for the first time in response to this programme in both Rajasthan and Kerela.In Malapuzha,Kerela the scheme has encouraged non-working women, widows and elderly to participate. The potential of the programme for allowing women to make some savings was observed everwhere.
The experience of the NREGA in Tamilnadu and in India is of more than three years. Therefore, it is time to analysis the performance of the scheme and highlights its strength and weaknesses and judge whether this strategy holds relevance in future plan. An attempt will be made to do this during the course of study.

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY :

1) To study the Socio-Economic characteristics of the Respondents in the study area.

2) To understand the nature of work, and work environment and the problems in
Implementation.

3) To analysis their living conditions before and after their enrollment under NRGEA.

4) To asses the creation of social assets the role of PRI in selection implementation and
evaluation of the scheme.

5) To suggest suitable measures to improve the standard of living of rural poor in the
study area.


HYPOTHESIS
The following hypothesis has formulated for the present study;

1) NREGA has improved the standard of living of the rural poor.

2) NREGA has created social assets.


SIGNIFICANCE AND SCOPE OF THE STUDY:

This was the first time a country had passed a law of this nature and scale, generating livelihood security to rural households exclusively Unorganized laborers of India. This is the unique scheme covers the world largest population those who are living with very low income and without any constructive opportunities for their upliftment. The proposed study will analysis the impact of the scheme in the creation of Employment, and assets, provision of wages, and thereby providing the suggestion for the improvement of the scheme and implementation. This study will also helps to facilitate the development of Rural masses and their Economic growth in the Madurai District.

DEFINITIONS OF CONCEPTS:

NRGEA : National Rural Employment Guarantee (NRGEA) was notified on September 7, 2005. The objective of the Act is to enhance livelihood security in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. Through the process of providing Employment on works that address causes of chronic poverty such as drought, deforestation and soil erosion, the Act seeks to strengthen the natural resource base of rural livelihood and create durable assets in rural areas. Effectively implemented, NRGEA has the potential to transform the geography of poverty.

Standard Of Living
The level of wealth, comfort, material goods and necessities available to a certain socioeconomic class in a certain geographic area. The standard of living includes factors such as income, quality and availability of employment, class disparity, poverty rate, quality and affordability of housing, hours of work required to purchase necessities, gross domestic product, inflation rate, number of vacation days per year, affordable (or free) access to quality healthcare, quality and availability of education, life expectancy, incidence of disease, cost of goods and services, infrastructure, national economic growth, economic and political stability, political and religious freedom, environmental quality, climate and safety. The standard of living is closely related to quality of life. Standard of living includes not only the material articles of consumption but also the number of dependents in a family, the environment, the educational opportunities and the amount spent for health, recreation, and social services in developing countries.



SELECTION OF THE STUDY AREA.
The NRGEA is implemented all over India from 2005. The state of Tamil Nadu stands first in implementation of the NRGEA scheme. The three tier panchayat raj institutions in Tamil Nadu is performing well in the implementation of various Rural Development projects. The Madurai district is one of the leading district in the implementation of the scheme. After carefully considering all aspects of the Rural development schemes and the implementation of the act, the researcher has identified the Madurai District -Tamilnadu as area for this study.
COLLECTION OF DATA :
Primary data
The primary data will be collected in the selected families by adopting a simple Random sampling method.
Secondary data
The secondary data will be collected from the Ministry of Rural Development( www.nrega.nic.in) and Department of Economics and Statistics other allied Deparments , the researcher will identity the policies, programmes designed for the implementation of Act, by which the improvement of the scheme and the rural masses will be identified. The data will also be collected by personnel meetings, observations, discussion with implementing Agencies like Project officer DRDA, BDO's of panchayat union, people representatives of Panchayat Raj Institutions.
TOOLS :
Well designed and pre-tested Interview schedule will be used as a tool for collection of information. Statistical tolls Average, mean Average, percentage, chi – squire, correlation will be used to construct the tables and for analysising the data.