In Bihar, the initiative which covered 2326 villages in 106 blocks of 22 districts received a big boost as the state’s secretary of rural development sent an official letter to all district officials concerned urging them to support the PACS Programme effort. The programme’s state communication agency, Communicators for Development, also facilitated a radio interview on NREGS with the state’s special secretary for rural development.

A large amount of communication material, including booklets, posters and a script of a play prepared by the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA) were distributed to CSOs. A flex-board on the NREGS was particularly popular and effective, according to CSO reports.

CSOs helped people fill forms for job cards in different areas. Each CSO was given a target of filling at least 300 forms. In Darbhanga, the Mithilanchal Samagra Vikas Sansthan, a network partner of Gramin Vikas Parishad, had facilitated the filling of over 750 forms till July 6, 2006.

In Jharkhand the NREGS week was observed in 4500 villages in 20 districts by over 100 CSOs.

A meeting to plan NREGS week activities was held on July 1, 2006 in Ranchi at the office Manthan Yuva Sanstha, the PACS Programme’s communication agency for the state. Around 65 representatives from different programme partners and resource organisations participated. A cluster wise plan of activities was finalised at the meeting and communication support material was distributed. This included flex posters, a CD of a film on NREGS, Sau Din Rojgar, Hamara Adhikar, a CD of 10 songs, a script for a street play, a booklet on NREGS week and a pamphlet on the scheme.

A press conference was held to announce the activities. Click here to read a press report in English (Hindustan Times, Ranchi, July 4) following the conference.

Training for CSOs on NREGA, padyatras and nukkad sabhas at several villages to spread awareness about the scheme were undertaken in all the clusters. Testimonials are being collected and a public hearing in the presence of government officials and media representatives is planned for July 16, 2006 at the town hall in Palamu.

In Maharashtra, PACS Programme partner Paryay facilitated meetings on NREGS related issues with BDOs, tehsildar and other officers in Aurangabad and Khultabad. The gram sabha in Siresaygaon in Gangapur block worked out an action plan for construction of a road under the scheme. In Suliganjan village, Khultabad, around 40 people could get work under the scheme due to the intervention of the CSO.

In Nanded district, Sandhi Niketan organised meetings in banjara (tribal) hamlets in Mukhed block. A press conference was also held here. A press conference was also held at Yavatmal, where programme partner Asmita Institute for Development held meetings with sarpanchs in each of the 14 villages covered by it under the programme.

Sampark, the programme’s communication agency for the state, prepared a short animation film on NREGS which was distributed among all CSOs in the districts covered by the scheme. Click here to view a short clip of this film.

In Madhya Pradesh various events organised by programme partners uncovered several problems in the implementation of the NREGS. Particularly serious problems are widespread gender discrimination. In Mohraha panchayat of Chhatarpur it was found that women workers have not been paid for 2-3 months; they get paid Rs 40 to Rs 50 a day whereas the minimum agricultural wage here is Rs 61.37. The women’s group here also reported that most of the work is being carried out by contractors.

In Chhattisgarh a huge meeting was organised at Chandan Nagar in Sarguja district by Margadarshak Seva Sansthan (MSS) on July 6. Around 1500 people from nearby villages including 500 women took part in the meeting. The sub divisional magistrate, naib tehsildar, janpad panchayat CEO and other officials were present on the occasion. Nukkad nataks were organised in of Satepur, Hariharpur, Mendra and Kantaroli villages of Sarguja district by the CSO.

Sammelans of community based organisations were held in two clusters—Kantaroli and Ghatbarrah—of Sarguja district.

In Kawardha district, the awareness building drives were organised in the Chitadabri and Damgarh clusters of Pandaria block. Participants reported that NREGS work is yet to start in their village and job cards have been given at random to only a few people. In Damgarh cluster, work has started in Dehamtola village only, while in other villages, photos are yet to be taken.

Panch and sarpanch sammelans were organised at Goplingchua and other villages in Rajnandgaon district covered by the Jagriti Seva Sansthan (JSS). At Nawa Nagar in Sarguja, the Sarguja Gramotthan Samaj Sevi Sansthan (SGSSS) convened a meeting attended by leaders of 10 villages to discuss the activities that will be undertaken in their villages.

The MP and Chhattisgarh efforts were supported by a large amount of diverse communication material prepared by the programme’s state communication agency, Write Solutions. Click here to hear the clip of a song prepared for the NREGS week.

In Uttar Pradesh PACS Programme partners in 13 districts participated in a state-wide Rozgar Adhikar Yatra organised by the National Conference of Dalit Organisations (NACDOR), a confederation of more than 300 grassroots dalit organisations. PACS Programme partners in these districts were closely involved in the planning and mobilisation for the yatra, which ended in a massive Rozgar Adhikar Sammelan in Lucknow on July 3 and formal adoption of a Lucknow Declaration.

The Rozgar Adhikar Yatra had an immediate impact in many areas. One day after its launch at Palia in Lakhimpur Kheri district on June 23, 2006, the district collector ordered a four-day campaign to receive applications from the villagers seeking employment under NREGA and to issue them job cards. The district administration was ordered to complete the process by July 1, 2006, a day before the yatra was scheduled to reach Lucknow to present a memorandum to the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.

Further, all block development officers were ordered to organise open meetings in all the panchayats of the district and to register all employment seeking persons in the panchayats. Officers have also been nominated to counter check these registrations.

The yatra, which started from different points—Lalitpur in Budelkhand on June 20; Palia in Terai region on June 23; Khadahi in Kushinagar in Poorvanchal on June 24, and Naugarh in Chandauli district on June 25—received a tremendous response. In Palia, thousands of villagers, panchayat representatives and women from marginalised communities flagged off the yatra.

The yatra was marked by public hearings in all the 22 districts in the state covered by the NREGA. People narrated the problems they faced, such as reluctance of officials to register names, particularly of women, non-issuance of job cards, discrimination in allotting work and job cards, etc.

The yatra disseminated information about the NREGS and how it can be used for the benefit of the people. Information about the scheme had not been disseminated by the authorities and in some areas people knew very little about the scheme or how to apply for work. Interactions were also held with officials at the panchayat and block level.