Rozgar Evum Suchna ka Adhikar Abhiyan

20 narayan nagar, Badgaon, District Udaipur313004
Fax No 0294-2451391

Records Released!
Dharna Wrapped Up – The Social Audit Process to Continue
Banswara

Dec 15th 2007: Records pertaining to 6 of the 8 blocks in Banswara district were finally made available late last evening by the district administration to the members of the Abhiyan, after 4 days of wavering between promises to make the information available to directing the Abhiyan to reapply for it. The remaining records are expected to arrive later today.
Having met with its demand for releasing the NREGA records today, the Abhiyan has decided to wrap up the dharna. However, the 400 odd people present here will continue to camp in Banswara. According to their prior plan, they will take the process of the social audit to its next step - consolidation of the records.
Senior member of the Abhiyan Nikhil Dey said that while the demand for disclosing information was met with wide-ranging reactions from opposition to reluctance to resorting to sections in the law so as to not provide information, it is the spirit of the process – of transparency and accountability measures in NREGA works - that has ultimately prevailed.
Explaining the schedule for the coming days, Bhanwar Singh Chandana of the Suchna Evum Rozgar Adhikar Abhiyan said that ‘We will now sit to consolidate and summarise all the data before we decide to go into the villages’
In her final address to the dharna, well known social activist Aruna Roy said that the release of records was a significant victory and it would help the people to further the social audit process. She said that with this victory it is clear that transparency cannot be compromised under any condition, or suppressed by any force.
Reinforcing the objective of the social audit process, she said “the whole idea of social audit is not about one particular demand or a single cry about corruption, but about bringing in systemic changes in the structure of governance and in strengthening grass root democracy”.
She thanked the district administration for providing the records and encouraged field level government functionaries and people’s representative to come together to understand the process of social audit, to spread and popularize it – and truly make Banswara a model state. She described social audit as a true democratic process which involves the participation of all kinds and levels of people.
She also traced the social audits that have taken place all over the country and in many places with the support and participation of the Government, adding that Banswara will thus also have to be a part of this continuous and growing democratic process.
Resolutions passed to Strengthen Panchayati Raj Institutions
Understanding the inherent limitation of people’s representatives, shortage of man power and inadequacies of the system, the following measure were proposed by ex-sarpanch of Kushalpura (Rajasmand) Narayan Singh. These resolutions were unanimously passed by those present.
1. An increase must be made in the honorarium paid to the Sarpanch, it should be atleast Rs 3000.
2. The ward panches must also be paid an equivalent fair amount.
3. The TA/DA allowance must be increased to meet their required needs.
4. Claims for travel, TA/DA on attending any meeting at the Block and District level must be reimbursed.
5. Every Panchayat must have one Secretary ( Gram Sachiv)
6. Every Panchayat must have a ‘ Rozgar Sahayak’, an assistant to handle only NREGA matters.
7. Every Panchayat must have one technical Assistant
8. One Junior Engineer must be incharge of not more than 3 Panchayats
9. Account/Record keeping must be the primary responsibility of the Panchayat Secretary/ the Rozgar Aasistant
10. Money spent in excess or less of the sanctioned amount should be the responsibility of the Panchayat Secretary.
11. Every Panchayat must have one trained mate for every 40 labourers
According to Nikhil Dey of MKSS, addressing these basic issues clears away a number of possible deviations in the process of implementing any programme.

Sd/-
Bhanwar Meghwanshi
Priyanka Varma

On behalf of the Rozgar Evum Suchna Adhikar Abhiyan

Rozgar Evum Suchna ka Adhikar Abhiyan

20 narayan nagar, Badgaon, District Udaipur 313004
Fax No 0294-2451391

Banswara, Dec 14th 2007: Distinctly rising against the voices of opposition, JDU MLA Jeetmal Khant representing Bagidora constituency arrived here at the dharna today and demonstrated an exemplary show of support and solidarity to the Abhiyan’s efforts to conduct the social audit in Banswara district. Amidst strong reactions of people’s representatives against the process of social audit, he said that putting records in the public domain and the entire process of social audit would bring about a social revolution. Siginificantly, Khant had also publicly supported the social audit conducted in Bagidora block by the Abhiyan earlier this year.
Addressing people at the dharna, he emphasised that being transparent, accountable and responsible was the duty of a people’s representative towards his/her electorate. The denial of transparency exposes the betrayal of people’s trust in the work of their representatives.
Strongly advocating the importance and ultimate objective of the social audit process, Khant added “To serve the poor is the biggest act of faith; both the RTI and NREGA facilitate this.”
In fact, he invited the sarpanches of Banswara to join this process, telling them that there was nothing to fear if their work was on ground and records clear.
He also shared his own findings from records of a particular panchayat in Banswara accessed by him – material worth Rs 17 lakhs bought within a span of 7-8 months were actually supplied by a company owned by the sarpanch’s wife! Such findings, he said, would definitely invite reactions like the one being currently demonstrated by people’s representatives and government functionaries against the process.
He assured that there would be enough support from the people of Banswara itself to take this process further.
“Transparency cannot shy away the honest and truthful” – Aruna Roy
Referring to Banswara as the land of Govind Guru and Mama Baleshwar Dayal, Aruna Roy said that surely, the voice of truth could not be defeated here. Addressing the dharna, on the third day, she said that the process of Social Audit strengthens Panchayati Raj Institutions and does not weaken it. She further added that “The process is not against a person or an institution but to ensure that every household gets its entitled work and wages. She said the dharna and the Abhiyan encouraged and strengthened by the support of Jeetmal Khant and hoped that there would be others to follow.
Complete Records -- Still Not Available
Fifteen days, four orders, one letter and many contradictory signals from the government since applying for information, the Collector told members of the Abhiyan that information was still coming in from various offices, and that they would be ultimately provided. Though records of 5 panchayats were provided late 13th evening, the records of the remaining 320 sought for, remain unavailable.
The Dharna Continues – More Local Support Pours In
The third day of the dharna being staged front of the Collectorate slowly saw more locals openly supporting the issue. People who had arrived in from nearby villages and many local students demanded that the process of social audit must take place to ensure that the benefits of development reach the last person.
20 students of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Tulzapur Maharashtra who had come to learn from the social audit process, also sang songs in support of the dharna. They plan to meet the Collector, who is from their own state, and request him to provide the records as soon as possible.
Sd/-
Bhanwar Meghwanshi
Priyanka Varma
On behalf of the Rozgar Evum Suchna Adhikar Abhiyan
Rozgar Evum Suchna ka Adhikar Abhiyan
20 narayan nagar, Badgaon, District Udaipur 313004
Fax No 0294-2451391
Banswara, Dec 13th 2007: Persisting with an inconsistent stand on whether to release information and records under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act or not, the District administration made one more move to further delay the process of Social Audit mandated under the Act here in Banswara.
In a letter issued today to the Abhiyan, the Banswara Collector has asked the Abhiyan to make fresh applications for the information sought, now under the Right to Information Act 2005.
Earlier application for information had been made under the NREGA central guidelines which clearly direct the administration to comply with request for copies of REGS related documents within seven days.
Responding to the letter, the Abhiyan has posed 2 fundamental questions
• Is the collector going back or actually contradicting and nullifying his own previous orders?
• Is the collector and his administration going to follow the Central Governement’s guidelines on the NREGA or openly violate it?
Strongly reacting to the recent stance of the administration, Aruna Roy addressed the dharna assuring the people that she would now access information and visit work sites as a Member of the Central Employment Guarantee Council to expose the reluctance of the administration to act against those refusing to part with this information and also the blatant violation of the provisions of transparency and accountability spelt out clearly in the law. According to her these constant dramatic reversals of the administration raise serious doubts on the entire government machinery starting from Banswara right up till Jaipur.
Since the Abhiyan had also announced the Jhalawar Social Audit for mid January, she said that efforts were being made to stall the process in Banswara itself , so that Jhalawar – the Chief Minister’s constituency, doesn’t face problems close on the heels of elections. She further added that “embossed in our national symbol is the country’s motto ‘ Satyameye jayate’ - the truth shall prevail. There is no power in the world that can reverse this”
On the second day of the Dharna
Addressing the people at the dharna, on its second day, Sadananad from Bihar, Mangal Singh from Uttar Pradesh, Rajinder Jaiswal from Gujarat, Izan Remai from Meghalaya and Mir Khan from Badmer echoed the same voice all emphasized that the rule is and must be of the law – and there is nothing above it. Student Leader Lokesh Pargi from Banswara also assured support to the agitating dharna of the entire adivasi student group in Banswara.
Shiv Singh from Uttarakhand said that “ democracy doesn’t work with Guns and Goons but with the consent of the people”. Narayan Singh ex- sarpanch Kushalpura, Rajasmand, said “ I spent five years as a people’s representative and maintained open records, if one is honest, what is there to hide?”
Vibrant expressions, songs and slogans
The spirit of joy, a sense of struggle and a determination of achievement reflected amongst the hundreds gathered here to continue fighting for information being denied. People at the Dharna began the day praying to god to grant wisdom to those in power. Songs from as far as Meghalaya were sung in support of the dharna and the issue. The events of the day and the stance of the administration has further strengthened the people’s demand giving it even more legitimacy.
Sd/-
Bhanwar Meghwanshi
Priyanka Varma
On behalf of the Rozgar Evum Suchna Adhikar Abhiyan
Rozgar Evum Suchna ka Adhikar Abhiyan
20 narayan nagar, Badgaon, District Udaipur 313004
Fax No 0294-2451391
Banswara, Dec 12th 2007: Over 400 people from 15 districts in Rajasthan and 7 states in India, gathered here to be a part of the mass social audit process of National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) works staged a sit–in protest today in front of the District Collector’s office demonstrating against the delay in providing records of NREGA works and demanding that it be provided immediately for this process to take effect.
4 orders issued between 30th November and 7th December by the district administration to facilitate the release of this information sought by the Abhiyan, have not yet been complied with. The administration had further assured the Abhiyan that information would be provided by 11th December, failing which a rally was organized today. 400 people walked the roads of Banswara to the Collector’s office shouting slogans “ bolo, bolo, muster roll kholo” “ Kaun Kehta hain Suchna denge nahin, liyein bina rahenge nahin” and so on.
In a response to the memorandum submitted by senior members of the Abhiyan Bhanwar Singh Chandana, Richa Audichya, Nikhil Dey, R.D.Vyas and Vaktaram, demanding immediate release of the required information and firm action against those who had beaten up an activist Vaktaram Devasi, the Collector further promised to provide information by the 13th of December. If the deadline was not met, he assured he would take action against those refusing to part with the information.
According to the prior plan of the Abhiyan, consolidation of the records should have been over and people should have been in the villages sharing and corroborating these records with people.
The Abhiyan team also brought to notice the fact that people from as far as Meghalaya and Uttarakhand have come to witness and learn from the process of Social Audit in a state that is the birth place of the Right to Information and the process of social audit and also in a district which has been marked as the model district for the NREGA works. The current situation proves to be contradictory to the much touted commitment of the State Government in ensuring transparency and accountability in these works – in fact further tarnishing it.
Letter to Raghuvansh Prasad and Vasundhara Raje
In a letter written to the Central Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and the Chief Minister of Rajasthan Vasundhara Raje, the Abhiyan has brought to their notice the grave situation in Banswara. They have also urged them to intervene and
• Ensure that NREGA guidelines related to transparency and accountability are followed in letter and spirit.
• Direct the State Government to provide copies of the records asked for by the Abhiyan immediately
• Direct firm action to be taken against those government functionaries and elected representatives who are refusing to part with information
• Ensure that the Social Audit process is not reduced to a formality but truly followed in letter and spirit
7 States, 28 Organisations and 400 People
9 People from Meghalya
9 People from R.S.LYNGDOH Training Centre and the Meghalaya Rural Development Society arrived here yesterday to witness and learn from the Social Audit process, in order to go back and use this tool to curb corruption and increase participation in the NREGA works going on in 2 of the 7 district of the state. 12 people from U.P and 2 from Bihar too have come with similar objectives to be a part of the process. Students from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences are also expected to join the process.
Well known Social Activist Aruna Roy arrives in Banswara
Well-known social activist and member of the Central Employment Guarantee Council Aruna Roy arrived here today. Commenting on the current situation in Banswara she said ‘we will continue to fight for the release of the information and the process of social audit will be taken to its logical end.”
The Abhiyan’s plan of action
Social Audit which is now a mandated exercise under the NREG Act is a responsibility of the state. The efforts of the Abhiyan is to push the administration to follow the law
Refusing to wait for the “2 more days” deadline, the Abhiyan has thus decided to continue agitating till the records are made available. The people gathered here will sit on a dharna till the information is released. The Abhiyan will also continue to invite people from all over the country to be a part of this struggle.

Sd/-
Bhanwar Meghwanshi
Priyanka Varma

On behalf of the Rozgar Evum Suchna Adhikar Abhiyan