In the past year, the Indian government has begun to implement the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) that promises one hundred days work to every rural family with an annual budget of $3 billion. The act decentralizes decision making to village panchayats and empowers every citizen to inspect accounts. AID-Orissa audited works, such as road construction and soil conservation done under NREGA in Gajapati district. Several villagers voiced concerns that while they did not work, and were paid no money, their names appeared in muster rolls and job cards as having received payments. Lakhs of rupees were thus pocketed in each panchayat. Based on AID-Orissa's report, the district collector ordered an enquiry. People of Uppalada village fearlessly spoke of rampant corruption at the block level, by engineers and panchayat members.

In the panchayat elections of February 2007, corruption became a hot issue. Uppalada elected a new sarpanch, who promised to implement NREGA works in a more transparent way. From March, AID-Orissa began street plays in Gandahati, Bagusala, Agarakhandi, Karandi and Upalada panchayats raising awareness of people's right to work and to access unemployment benefits, if no work was made available. Nation-wide, nearly 50% of money available for NREGA was not spent in 2006-07 as the government hasn’t made NREGA work application forms widely available in villages. Unspent money invites corruption. After the street plays, AID-India village volunteers distributed NREGA work applications and hundreds of people submitted them and got dated receipts.

By April, in Gandahati Panchayat, road works started at Adagawn, S. Laupar and Gandahati villages employing 120 people. In Agarakhandi Panchayat, pond work is employing 100 people at Rs 70/day. These are all people inspired by the street plays. In Ranadevi village of Bagusala Panchayat, applicants have filed for unemployment benefit.

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Ravi Kuchimanchi, AID JeevanSaathi

[This ongoing work is supported by $5000 from AID-College Park and is looking for support to expand to Srikakulam district, AP through ACF funds and Bloomington Chapter – Editors]