(1) Most of the people in the 50 Village Panchayats that were covered during the Social Audit exercise in Bharawan and Sandila Blocks of Hardoi District were not even aware of the NREGA. In fact, some Gram Pradhans also did not have a complete knowledge of all the provisions of the Act. Most of them were treating it like any other government scheme.

img: Govt. of India. NREGA Site.

(2) Most of the people had not applied for Job Cards. Those who had, were still awaiting to get their Job Cards. The Gram Pradhans are usually favouring their family members and people who voted for them during the Panchayat elections for making of the Job Cards, like it happens in selecting beneficiaries for most government schemes.

(3) Names of all adult members of the family, especially the women members, are not being mentioned on the Job Cards. No Job Cards were issued to any woman even in women headed households. Name of only one woman was mentioned in a Job Card in Tiloiyakalan Gram Panchayat. The husband of the Gram Pradhan of Purwaman Village Panchayat deaclared in an open meeting that it was not possible for him to make Job Cards in the name of women.

(4) In almost all Gram Panchayats, people had to submit their photographs or pay money to the Pradhan to get their photographs affixed to the Job Cards.

(5) There is a discrepancy between the number of Job Cards shown to be issued in the Block Office records and the register which is available with the Gram Panchayat Vikas Adhikari (VDO). For example, in Atsalia, Atwadanda, Chhanoiya, Gogadev, Dhikunni, Kanaura Aant, Rudauli Newada and Lalamau Gram Panchayats the Block Office record shows, respectively, 269, 222, 301, 255, 270, 245, 240 and 260 Job Cards issued whereas actually only 121, 95, 164, 70, 100, 143, 187 and 180, respectively, cards have been issued. This implies that the official figure of number of Job Cards issued in Sandila and Bharawan Blocks being reported by the Block Office, 13,812 and 12,475, respectively, is probably exaggerated by more than two times.

(6) The Job Cards in all Village Panchayats mostly were with the Gram Pradhans or VDOs and some of them distributed them to people just before the arrival of social audit teams in the village. Still, most Job Cards, even if they have been made, have not reached the rightful owner.

(7) In some Gram Panchayats, like Sahgawan, Narainpur Sunda and Mavai Musalmanan complaints were received of money being charged in the range of Rs. 25-100 for issuing Job Card.

(8) In Gram Panchayat Jamu reports were received of Gram Pradhan having cancelled the Job Cards when the workers did not report for work. This was denied by the BDO Nafees Ahmad. Since the workers did not have the Cards with them the truth could not be verified.

 (9) In most Gram Panchayats Job Cards of people who have worked were found blank, there were discrepancies among the Job Card entries, muster roll entries and workers’ testimonies. Name and description of work and wages paid were not shown on the Job Cards.

(10) Muster rolls reflected a higher amount paid to the labour. This is a common way of embezzlement of funds. However, in addition to the corruption, under NREGA it also implies reduction by the number of exaggerated days out of 100 days of guarantee to the concerned worker and hence should be considered a crime.

(11) Payments have been registered in personal diaries and signature/thumb impression were taken either on these diaries, private registers, blank sheets or on blank muster rolls.

(12) Names of people who have not worked on the site are shown on muster rolls. Their Job Card numbers have been entered even though they are not aware of any such document. Some of them have worked on private jobs of Pradhans.

(13) Signatures and thumb impressions have been fudged on a large scale. Even people who can sign have been shown to have put thumb impressions on muster rolls. The people who prepare muster rolls seem to have a fascination for thumb impressions.

(14) There was a discrepancy between the number of workers who worked on a particular work shown in the Block office records and the muster rolls.

(15) In Gram Panchayats Purwaman, Mahitha, Atwa Danda, Sahgawan, Bakwa, Parihawan Sekhwapur, Bharigahna, Atsalia and Mavai Musalmanan complaints were received of Rs. 40-50 having been paid instead of Rs. 58 for per day of work. The usual excuse of the Pradhans is that they paid from their own pocket as there was a dealy in receiving payments from the district authorities.

(16) The payments to workers are not linked to measurement of work. No measurement of works is taking place. The authorities were not able to provide Measurement Books for most of the works. Apart from Measurement Books for 3 works, no measurements books were available for over 100 works in the two Blocks. Without measurements it is not clear how cost estimates are made.

(17) Women are being systematically denied employment under this scheme even though the law provides for 33% women employment. In Sandila Block out of 9890 workers offered work so far there are only 7 women. The Pradhans say that women either cannot work or do not want to work.

(18) In all the documents and works examined in two Blocks of Hardoi District there is not a single physically challenged person who has got work.

(19) Work has been allocated even though no real demand for work has been made. Workers did not receive any receipts, though the government records show that workers demanded work and receipts have been given. The works are being decided by people’s representatives and officials without consulting the people.

(20) No work application receipts have been given to any labour, thus preventing the possibility for making claims of unemployment allowance after 15 days of submission of application demanding work and work not having been provided.

(21) Worksite facilities like drinking water, first aid, shade and crèche for small children (in case of more than five infants at worksite) were not provided in any work.

(22) No transparency is being observed in implementation of this scheme. Important issues related to transparency are as follows:

(23) People are afraid of speaking out against the corruption in EGS. The Gram Pradhans and VDOs threaten the people not to speak truth in any inquiry.

(24) Some Gram Panchayats were discovered where the actual Gram Pradhan in not in charge and the Panchayat is being controlled by some other powerful person of the village. Such Panchayats include Gogadev, Mandauli, Erka, Tikrabarar, Mahitha and Barahi. Panchayats where male family members were running the show on behalf of woman Pradhan included Atrauli, Narainpur, Chhanoiya, Purwaman, Kanaura Aant, Mahigawan and Mavai Musalmanan. This implies that in about one-fourth of the Panchayats the actual Gram Pradhan is not conducting the affairs of the Panchayat and the democratic system is being scuttled.

Ram Sagar Verma, Neelkamal, Keshav Chand, Jaishankar, Sajiwan Lal, Ram Bharose, Bhagwandeen, Chandralekha, Suman Gautam, Rambabu, Gayadeen, Ashok Bharti, Yeshwant Rao, Virendra Singh, Karan Singh, Harshavardhan Purandare, Mahesh, Vallabhacharya, Arundhati Dhuru, Sandeep