I don't think it is necessary to explain anything theoretical about one of the prestigious project of Government of India for fulfilling the right to work under MGNREGA- Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. You will get millions of pages over internet on the theoretical functioning of the project. But I felt it necessary to draw a sketch on how it actually functions at the grass root level.The government seems to be relaxing by believing that at least 100 days of guaranteed wage is reaching the beneficiaries after making it mandat
ory to disburse the wage through the bank accounts. When the project was started, the wage was being given in the form of food grains like wheat, jowar and rice. The officials/sarpanchs/panchayat members/local contractors used to complete the works using the the machines like earth movers or some times completion on on papers and make money by selling those grains. Later wage in the form of money was introduced, it was much easier than earlier. The MGNREGA card holder to put his thumb impression or sign in non vernacular language and get the commission for signing, not the complete wage as guaranteed. No need to say again where it reached?
Did the direct transfer of wages through bank accounts have solved the problem? Yes, off course! That of contractors!
What is the Modus operandi?
Mr B, a Panchayat Member approaches Shri/Smt A, who has MGNREGA card, to open an account in a Nationalised Bank. The bank opens Shri/Smt A's account who had just learned to move the pen to sign in non vernacular language and issues an ATM card. Mr B deposits the minimum amount in the account and pays one days wage to Shri/Smt A for taking trouble of opening a bank account. Mr B grabs ATM card along with its PIN and the bank passbook of newly opened account. Panchayat officials identifies some work say 'cleaning of sewage on both side of the village road' to be done under MGNREGA. Mr B pays the pre-decided standard bribe to those officials and give the list of the MGNREGA card holders along with their account numbers. He, being the owner of the JCB gets it done in the matter of an hour. Or if he is influential, he gets id done on papers. Few days later he visits the ATM and withdraws the wages of hundred of MGNREGA beneficiaries without much effort than entering the ATM PIN. And it repeats.Rahul save MGNREGA!
