NREGS-AP initiative to work on migrant bonded labour

[Umi Daniel]

Dear all,

 

Last week while 12 migrant labour from Mehboobnagar have died at the work place in Adilabad district in Andhrapradesh. The government machinary swung into action to findout ways and means to curb the situation through a number of institutional, programmatic and legal intervention. Mehboob nagar is like Bolangir in Orissa which is known for its indiscreminate exdus of poor people despite provisioning of NREGA, watershed management and other government employment programmes. Along side a number of intervention, the AP government is planning to raise the bar of 100 days of employment for the migrant families making it around 200+ days to protect the people from the lure of debt migration and to rehabilitate the freed bonded migrant and contract labourer through a host of antipoverty programmes. 

 

I strongly believe NREGA has the potential to reduce the rural distress and it is high time that the Orissa government to focus under its OREGS and clubbing other social security measures to protect the interest of large number of debt migrant and bonded labour in southern and western Orissa.

 

Regards

 

Daniel

 

 

GOVERNMENT OF ANDHRA PRADESH

ABSTRACT

NREGS-AP – Bonded labour on migration – Special strategy to rehabilitate the freed bonded labour – Orders - Issued.

PANCHAYAT RAJ AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (RD.II) DEPARTMENT

G.O.Ms.No. 173 Dated:01.06.2009

Read the following:-

Read: 1. Minimum Wages Act – 1948

2. The Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act 1970

3. The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act 1976.

4. NREGS Act - 2005

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O R D E R:

It has come to the notice of the Government that, in Mahabubnagar district, large number of labour are being engaged to work on worksites

across the country on contract basis. Quite often the labour are lured into the contract by advancing huge amounts to the labour, who have to work

to repay the loans. There are instances where such labour are forced to work at wages less than the minimum wages. Understandably, the

system is perpetuated by a network of middle men locally called “gumpu mestris” 2) A number of poverty alleviation programmes are being

implemented by the Government which can effectively rescue labourers from the vicious cycle of poverty and indebtedness. But yet large No. of

labour are still becoming victims of the exploitative practice. National Rural Employment Guarantee Act has immense potential to address this

challenge.

3) In order to ensure that poor labour of Mahabubnagar are not forced into bonded labour by the “gumpu mestris”, Government here by

direct the District Collector, Mahabubnagar to take up certain urgent measures as detailed below.

i. An intensive campaign shall be launched in the district to bring on record all instances of labour inducted into the

exploitative distress migration by the “gumpu mestris”, in 2-3 weeks from now.

 

ii. Steps as per the law shall be taken to free the labour from the bondage, immediately. Since group mestries and forced

labour is within the definition of bonded labour, District Collector is requested to enforce Law and take stringent and

deterrent criminal action against the perpetrators and release bonded labour.

 

iii. The freed labour shall be given work in their own villages under NREGS, without limiting to 100 days per family. The

labour shall be facilitated to earn wages from NREGS on continuous basis, so that they are not vulnerable to become

bonded labour once again.

Contd..

-2-

iv. The women of the freed labour families who are still outside the fold of SHGs shall be organized into SHGs and

given access to credit under Pavalavaddi program.

 

(BY ORDER AND IN THE NAME OF THE GOVERNOR OF ANDHRA PRADESH)

K.RAJU

PRINCIPAL SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT (RD)

To

The Commissioner, Rural Development, AP, Hyderabad.

The Commissioner, Social Welfare, AP, Hyderabad.

The Chief Executive Officer, SERP, AP, Hyderabad.

The District Collector and District Programme Coordinator,

Mahabubnagar district.

The Project Director, DWMA and Additional District Programme

Coordinators of Mahabubnagar District.

The Commissioner, Panchayat Raj, AP., Hyderabad.

The Director, Tribal Welfare, AP, Hyderabad.

The Commissioner, AMR-APARD, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad.

Copy to:

The P.S. to Minister (Rural Development),

The P.S. to Prl.Secy. to Government (RD),

The P.S to Secy. to Government (Panchayat Raj),

The PR & RD (Genl.) Department (2 copies),

SF/SC.

//FORWARDED :: BY ORDER/

[pradeep mohapatra]

Dear Daniel,

 Thanks for forwarding good note.

Good to know that Govt of AP is attempting to raise 100 to 200+days in NREGA to arrest distress migration, but except few district in Orissa  nowhere 100 days of job has been provided. this shows the promotpt, effective planning,pro-poor  initiatives as well as resource mobilisation  of states .

 under spending  in poverty alliviation program is not crime? how to fix up the responsibility & accountability?  is the laboere, Gaon sathi, GRS, Sarpancg,JEs, BDOs  or the system ?
any body in the group  can respond plz. best

--
Pradeep Mohapatra
Team leader,UDYAMA,
HIG-283/K-5/KalingaVihar,Patrapada post, Bhubaneswar-751019
0674 2475656,Cell:+91 9437110892
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[Umi Daniel]

Dear Pradeep,

 

I think, APREGs  has been pioneer in thinking various options for tackling problems arising from implementation of employment guarantee programme. And, now the government is facing the issue of migration. The other day, a meeting was organised in Mehboobnagar where the Minister Rural Development and Minster for civil supplies and the top officials have discussed the issue and passed on government orders to work on distress migration through a host of development and legal initiatives. I think, there is a political will to act and the determination to implement.

 

I am in Hyderabad since some of us were invited by the Secretary Rural development to develop a workable strategy on the issue. And since the migrants will be returning home during monsoon, the next three months will be quite crucial for the government in Mehboobnagar to initiate some good planning to take up the challenge.

 

Further, today the secretary has declared that the migrant families in Mehboobnagar will get morethan 250/300days of employment under NREGA and this will be available for all the able bodied migrant family members. further, a special credit mechanism is worked out to provide easy credit for the returnees  to address the debt issue linked to migration. And finally there are some good strategies are being worked out to facilitate safe migration which will be gearedup during the next migration cycle. I am sure these strategies will be a great learning for all of us to influence our own ministers and govt officials to replicate and implement.

 

Regards

 

Daniel

[spread]

Dear Daniel & friends,

 

Nice  to hear about the initiative of AP Govt. on Migration & NREGS. You are right there is need for political will to take such type of steps for the poor people.

 

In our state our Political leaders do not have such type of interest. As the new Govt. have just started its new innings I think a team from civil society should meet the RD minister, CM  and other high officials to persuade them for effective implementation of the NREGS.

 

At the grassroots level all the activists, NGOs are still struggling to registered the Job application & to get right wage within timeframe. Unless until the top decision makers are serious, at ground level there will be problems which people  are facing .

 

If you will recall our discussion in the last meeting at agragamme office, we should immediately form a small team to meet RD minister & secretary for discussion. I will request Raju to initiate the process soon.

 

 

Regards,

 

Bidyut. 

 

******************************************************
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THERE IS NO CHANGE.

 

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[Nandi Sandh]

Dear Daniel Bhai,   Warm greetings!   There should be a strong voice from the Civil Society groups for 200+ days job in Balangir so far the debt bond of the migrant labour is concerned. Besides, there should be other livelihoood support, in adition.   Thanks for bringing the news especially to the people who we work in Balangir.   Warmly,   Nandi  --- On Wed, 10/6/09, Umi Daniel <umi.d...@gmail.com> wrote:

G.O.Ms.No. 173 Dated:01.06.2009 Read the following:-

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