Why NREGA workers hate Aadhaar and blame Centre for 'slow poisoning' the scheme: Glimpses from Jantar Mantar

If you rue over bad pay hike, sample this: This year the NREGA workers got lowest wage hike ever, measly Re 1 in some states.

It is this pay 'hike' and number of other issues for which hundreds of NREGA workers have been staging a protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar since September 11.

These workers, who form the first line of rural job front, are now facing a bleak future.

They have now brought their struggle to the Capital and are demanding an increase in wages and work days under the NREGA scheme.

Most feel that the paltry pay hike in April is just a way by the Centre to kill the scheme.

They also allege that the Centre is 'diluting' the NREGA scheme through budget cuts, low wages and delay in payments.

"Its like slow poison to kill the National Rural Guarantee Act (NREGA)," said activist Anuradha Talwar.

The women working under the rural employment scheme complained of low wages and delays in payments in their respective states.

"I get 10-15 days in a month and the payments are never on time. The wages are also less than what is expected to be paid," said Galku Devi from Rajasthan.

Under NREGA, workers from rural areas are guaranteed 100 days work. They are also eligible for a stipulated wage of Rs 192 per day within 15 days of completion of work.

Nikhil Dey of the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sanghtan said the NREGA Sangharsh Morcha, the umbrella organisation seeking improvement in implementation of the scheme, has raised the demand of hiking the wages to Rs 600 and increasing number of work days to 240.

"NREGA wages have been held constant in real terms since 2009. In the last two years, the wages have increased by as little as one rupee per day in some states," he said.

The activists also charged that the use of technology has further "hampered" smooth functioning of the scheme.

"The workers as needed to get their numbers listed with Management Information System(MIS) and bank accounts where the wage payments are to be made. This is just one example how cumbersome it could make the scheme," said Professor Ritika from IIT Delhi.

Another NREGA activist from Rajasthan, Mukesh, highlighted "glaring lapses" in social audit of the scheme and how, despite a demand from the rural workforce, no jobs were available for them.

"After demonetisation, large number of workers have returned to their villages and want work. But, there is no work for them due to several reasons including budget cuts," he said.

NREGA budgets have been "inadequate" for several years, Dey said.

"After peaking at 0.6 percent(of GDP) in 2009-10, Central government expenditure on NREGA declined steadily to 0.3% in 2015-16 and 2016-17," he said.

These workers also have another issue that may force government to rethink its digital future policy.

Aadhaar card is yet another hurdle for them. Most feel that its unnecessary and slows down even the basic work.

A Times of India report quoted one Tukaram from Madya Pradesh who angrily talked about how Aadhaar is being mandatory even for accessing basic amenities.

He said the pregnant women in his village faced great difficulties to call the ambulance.

"To call the ambulance on the 108 number, we have to produce evidence of Aadhaar registration. One woman worker forgot to carry her Aadhaar card to hospital and did not remember her number, and we were faced with delay in all services," the TOI report quoted him saying.

From Madhya Pradesh to Delhi, the dislike for Aaadhar remains unchanged.

According to the TOI report, Pushpa, a resident of Delhi, said, "This Aadhaar is killing people; whether it is access to ration or pension or hospital, nothing happens with it. It has become an excuse for government servants to not help."

(With PTI input)