Demanding Livelihood Entitlements

There is a tola named Rangainiya of Mainijor village where 250 people residing. There are Khairwar Ravidas cast people’s staying here. Most of them are poor farmers. In 2005, 20 beneficiaries received job card from panchayat sevak Mr. Avinash kumar.  After applying for job they got work of 30 days under Mgnrega. Payment of 15 days released to beneficiaries out of 30 days but 15 days payments were held. 4 years passed away but the payment was not released due to panchayat election. Husband of new elected PRI representative along with panchayat sevak came to these job card holder and taken all job cards while assuring them that all job cards need renewal. Villagers hand over their job card to that person without asking anything. Ashok pandit collected all job cards without any signature or thumb impression. All payments of 15 days were withdrawn while involving Post master in this process by Mukhiya.

There was a meeting held with Ekta Mahila Parishad and villagers of that village in which these matter came out that these PRI’s are violating the scheme. In the meeting, Mr. Beri Kharwar( villager) shared that all job cards had been taken away by the husband of Mukhiya and Rojgar Sevak. A committee was formed regarding this issue and decisions taken that they will approach to these persons next morning and ask for job cards.

Next morning villagers asked the Mukhiya’s husband “where are our job card?’ He told them “I am not having your job cards right now”. Villagers told him “where did you given it. Tell us otherwise we will put a FIR against you.” After hearing this he said “all job cards are with post master” then villagers reached to post master and asked the same. Post master said “ Mukhiya jee gave me these job cards and I can’t give it to you. I don’t recognise you”. Then villagers filed a written complaint against such malpractices to Program Officer MGNREGA and copy to DDC Jamui, BDO Khaira and Police station in charge Khaira.

This written attempt made the district official active towards the serious issue of malpractice in MGNREGA and they started identification of those labours. Next night at 3am, DDC with Program Officer and Thana In-charge came to village and called villagers and Block in-charge Mr. Pradeep with those labours as well as Mukhiya’s husband Mr. Ashok Pandit, Rojgar sevak and Post master. Mukhiya’s husband Mr. Ashok Pandit, Rojgar sevak and Post master are founded guilty under this issue and they all apologize in front of all villagers as well as committed that this will never happened again. One lack fifty thousand amount disbursed to those 20 labours that had work under MGNREGA.