[Marxistindia] PB Member Brinda Karat writes to Rural Dev. Minister Questioning MGNRES Categorisation

[news from the cpi(m)]

June 4, 2021
Press Release

We are herewith releasing the full text of the letter written by  
CPI(M) Polit Bureau Member, Brinda Karat, to the Union Minister for  
Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Shri Narender Singh Tomar,  
questioning the intent of the advisory issued by the Ministry on  
“disbursement of wage payment to wage seekers according to the  
category of SC/ ST and Others” under the MGNREGS.

This is for favour of publication.


For CPI(M) Central Committee Office

*******

June 4, 2021



Shri Narender Singh Tomar ji,

This is in reference to File no G-31011/13/2020/RE(V)(371606), dated 2  
March 2021. In the form of an advisory to State Governments, it  
concerns “disbursement of wage payment to wage seekers according to  
the category of SC/ ST and Others.”

The Advisory mandates States to ensure social categorization in every  
aspect of the implementation of the law— from the projected  
expenditure for anticipated demand among SC/ST households in the  
Labour budget, to separate State level accounting for wage payments to  
SC and ST categories, to utilization certificates and so on. However,  
no reason has been given for this extreme bureaucratisation which  
will, given past experience of the delays on various counts on payment  
of wages, affect precisely the SC/ST sections who will become victim  
to these separate accounting and banking procedures.

Why is this necessary? The advisory to State Governments does not give  
any cogent reason for this. However, there is a sentence in the  
advisory which raises serious doubts as to the intent of the  
Government. It is stated: “All stakeholders may ensure action in a  
time bound manner so that funds maybe released accordingly.”

The MNREGA is a universalized programme for any adult living in rural  
India who is willing to do manual work. The budgetary provisions are  
made for the implementation of the law as a whole. Thus, this cannot  
be determined by any new interpretations of the law to introduce a  
policy of divisible allocations by social categories, which is what  
the advisory appears to be. In a demand-based universal programme for  
provision of work, allocations can only be based on expected demand  
for work. Linking categorization with allocations will undermine the  
basis of the law which, as stated above, is both demand based and also  
universal in its eligibility criteria. We therefore request you to  
clarify why this has become necessary.

I would also like to draw your attention to the fact that this is  
being done without discussion in the public domain. Till now the  
advisory, which is so important since it is linked to fund  
allocations, is not even on the website of the Ministry. It has not  
been discussed in Parliament or even put to the Standing Committee on  
Rural Development. It should not be implemented  without such a  
discussion.

The CPI(M) has always promoted the protection of rights of SC and ST  
communities and women within the universal programme. We have strongly  
argued for the prioritization of SC and ST households in the list of  
convergence programmes such as choice of individual beneficiaries in  
private land development programmes. However, we find that the  
Government has not set up any monitoring mechanism for such  
convergence programmes to reach SC and ST beneficiaries. Similarly,  
there is no effort to ensure the recruitment and training of persons  
from the SC and ST communities for the post of “mates” or “barefoot  
technician” as defined in Chapter 7, clauses 12.5 in the master  
circular for implementation of MNREGA ( 2019-2020).

Therefore there is no information as to how these oppressed  
communities are represented in these posts. These would constitute  
concrete measures to enhance the rights and interests of SC and ST  
communities within NREGA. In clause 4.22 “Ministry mandates provision  
of 50 days of wage employment, beyond stipulated 100 days, to every ST  
household in forest areas who have no private property except land  
provided under FRA 2006.” Is there any record of the Ministry of how  
many ST households have been given 150 days of work a year? No such  
record is available in the public domain.

Instead of taking such concrete measures, the said advisory is  
questionable in its intent and highly bureaucratic in its conception.

I would like to point out that the main issue here is the lack of work  
under NREGA. The average days of work in April-May this year of just  
20 days per household is less than last year. This at a time when the  
second wave of the pandemic has eliminated job opportunities,  and  
provision of work under NREGA is essential to prevent widespread  
hunger and deprivation.

I request you to consider these issues.

Thanking you,

Yours sincerely,


(Brinda Karat)
Member Polit Bureau, CPI(M), Former MP, RS


To
Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj,
Government of India
New Delhi


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