The book review came in GovernanceNow in 16-31 July 2012 issue
Web Link: http://governancenow.com/views/columns/ground-zero-realities
Ground
zero realities
Book Review: A must-read compilation
of landmark essays and surveys in the debate on right to work
The Battle
Edited by
Reetika Khera
264 pages,
Rs. 695
Pradeep Baisakh
MNREGS has been a topic of hot
debate, even before the law was enacted. Critics see it as wastage of huge
public money in ‘mud work’, whereas supporters think it answers the need to
save the poor from starvation and malnutrition in the neoliberal era. Amid this
debate, the book under review comes as a comprehensive document, compiling some
previously published major articles, surveys and essays, to argue in favour of
the law.
The book is divided into four parts
with 19 chapters. Part I provides an account of the early days of the civil
society struggle for employment guarantee. Parts II and III discuss ground
realities and case studies from based on surveys conducted in various states.
Part IV points out the ‘trouble spots’ in implementations and suggests remedies.
As Nobel laureate Amartya Sen writes
in a blurb, “This is a remarkably enlightening study of a novel strategy of
public intervention in alleviating chronic poverty in India
Jean Dreze in his article
‘Employment Guarantee and Right to Work’ reminisces the early days of the
struggle for employment guarantee with the Rozgar
Adhikar Yatra undertaken by
activists through some of the poorest districts like Badwani, Palamu, Gaya and
Puruliya. He presents a picture of the rural economy “…that looked like a
graveyard and unemployment was people’s main concern”.
An exhaustive study was conducted by
researchers and activists in mid-2008 in six states – Jharkhand, Bihar , Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Uttar
Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh – to ascertain the impact of MNREGS. The survey
found that the scheme indeed reached the neediest people: 73% of the
beneficiaries interviewed belonged to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes,
61% of the workers were illiterate, 69% people said it helped them to stave off
hunger and 47% spent MNREGS wages to meet their health needs.
The workers got 31 days of work on
average in 2007-08. Through barely 13% of workers got the full quota of 100
days, the survey busted the mis-information by some economists that people do
not need NREGA.
The survey busted many arguments
from a section of economists. For example, one expert held that there was only
1% unemployment among poor agricultural workers. But the survey showed 98% of
them wished to get 100 days of work in a year under this scheme. The article by
Dreze and Khera, ‘Battle
Khera and Nandini Nayak narrate
field experiences with regards to benefits the law has brought to women who
form majority of the beneficiaries. In 2007-08, their share among the total
workers was 82% in Tamil Nadu, 71% in Kerala and 69% in Rajasthan. When women
face limited and adverse condition of work in private labour market, MNREGS
opens up new opportunities for them, asserts the article.
Aruna Roy and Nikhil Dey of the
Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) expose the dwindling commitment of the
central government that undermined the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 by putting an
upper limit cap on the wages under MNREGS. Now the wages have been linked with
the wholesale price index.
A considerable number of essays
extensively discuss several measures to check corruption under this scheme and
reduce delay in payment of wages to the poor labourers.
The book is dedicated to two
martyrs, “Piku who was killed by the CRPF in a fake encounter in Orissa and
Niyamat Ansari, killed by Maoists in Jharkhand”.
The book provides a thorough guide
for the policy makers in enhancing the delivery of MNREGS. It is quite useful
for researchers studying labour market, unorganised sector and welfare
economics. This book is a must read for everyone interested in poverty
alleviation and socio-economic development of rural India
………
Baisakh is an Odisha-based freelance journalist and National Foundation
of India
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