Gujarat govt uses NREGS funds to pay own workers

The NREG Act’s raison d’etre is to provide a legal guarantee of 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer for unskilled manual work at the minimum wage rate notified for agricultural labour in the state,or else an unemployment allowance. The Act’s objective was to supplement wage employment opportunities in rural areas,and in the process,also build up durable assets.

A Gujarat High Court order had clearly said: “It is hardly required to be observed that the scheme of employment guarantee under NREGA is essentially for those who are unemployed or who have no work. In the present case,all applicants are stated to be working as daily rated employees for so many years with the state government. Hence…until final disposal of the petition,the petitioners and applicants shall not be compelled… to fill up job cards under NREGA.”

The order had come after PWD workers not wanting to be paid under NREGS had moved the court.

Nevertheless,the state government decided to go ahead as planned.

A Government Resolution (MPB/10/2010(29) Q dated 22 April 2010) accessed by The Indian Express,reads thus:

Subject: from the meeting that took place on 21-4-2010 of the cabinet ministers

As per the above subject,in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister on 21-4-2010,the following resolutions were passed: ‘All labour-oriented work should be brought under NREGA’.

Meanwhile,the forest workers threatening strike have said that their protest is on account of the anticipated difference in wages if they are brought under NREGS.

State minister for forests and tribal development,Mangubhai Patel,confirmed that this is being done not only in his department,but in all other state departments.

“Why should the Forest Department alone be left behind when workers from other departments are being put under NREGS?” he said.

Pravin Vyas,president of Gujarat Forest Produce Gatherers and Forest Workers’ Union (GFPGFWU),said the move is a clear violation of the HC order that had also asked the deputy conservator of forest not to compel daily wage earners from government departments to come under the scheme. “The case was filed by the PWD workers’ union,whose members were being compelled to collect their NREGS job cards in Sabarkantha district. We oppose the move because we now get about Rs 140 as daily wage,while under NREGS,we will get only Rs 100,” added Vyas.

Earlier on Saturday,representatives of about 500 workers from Narmada district submitted a memorandum to a senior district forest official,demanding that the decision of bringing them under NREGS should be immediately scrapped. Narmada District Forest Officer Dr Sashi Kumar said the order is binding on all forest workers in the state,including the 450 in Narmada district. “We have told the workers that something will be worked out,” he added.

Chief Conservator of Forests A K Srivastava,who is heading the implementation of NREGS in Gujarat,expressed ignorance about any such GR.