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Resource centre on India's rural distress
 
 

Forget job card, bring rooster for MGNREGA wages-Sheikh Saleem
-Rising Kashmir

Srinagar: The criterion for laborers getting wages with Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in Bandipora villages is not a job card but a rooster.
“Even if you have worked efficiently, you will be paid wages only if you have a desi rooster to gift the officials,” locals from various Bandipora villages said.

Alleging corruption in the release of funds, people from Zaban Chuntimulla said authorities were not releasing funds to them for the past three years.

“We completed construction work on a bund and roads three years ago but till now we have not received wages,” said Muhammad Shafi, a worker.
Over 100 workers in the village have not been paid yet.

“However those who can arrange a lunch with a rooster for the officers get the payment,” Shafi said.

Blaming MGNREGA authorities, locals said the scheme had failed to benefit the unemployed youth of the Valley.

“It is modern-day forced labor. The officers of the block development act like the maharajas and don’t listen to our pleas,” said an elderly person.

The primary purpose of this scheme was to enhance the livelihood security of people in rural areas by guaranteeing 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to a rural household and help rural economy grow by boosting rural connectivity, irrigation and agriculture productivity.

However, residents of Chuntimulla and adjoining villages said the scheme had failed bitterly in the village.

“We were told to make roads but on ground no one can differentiate between the road and water stream,” Shafi said. “Despite MGNREGA working here, the village road is in shambles and bunds missing.”

Locals said the concerned Village Level Workers (VLWs) and other officers were together making money out of the scheme.

“They don’t mark attendance on our job cards but come with a separate dairy to mark attendance,” said a young worker Gulzar Ahmad. “They do so to embezzle the funds.”

The locals said people who have worked under the scheme were being paid wages of few days while rest of the amount is being transferred o some others who never worked.

“Despite complaints to the authorities, nothing has happened so far,” he said.

Villagers said the benefit under the scheme had mostly gone to well off individuals “who could throw feasts for the officers”.

“Due to corruption, little has been contributed toward boosting rural economy,” he said. “Instead we were left to starve by working without wages.”
This is not the first case when MGNREGA was has come under the scanner in the district.

On January 20, a panchayat member approached the Block Development Officer (BDO) in presence of a local legislator and publicly gave Rs 15,000 bribe to the BDO, which according to him was demanded by a village level worker for clearance of bills of IAY and MGNREGA.

The move has also brought RDD in the district under the scanner.

However, Block Development Officer Bandipora Syed Sajad Qadri seemed to be unaware about the incident.

“I don’t know what the matter actually was. There are delays of few days sometimes but I don’t know the gravity of the situation. Let them come with a formal complaint” he said. “We have already suspended a panch on corruption charges. We won’t tolerate this.