Recasting Citizenship for Development - File UPI

Restructuring the Employment Guarantee Scheme 157
That is the reason why farmers do not lease us the fallow land. They know
that nothing would be produced out of the land.
So, it would be appropriate that the wasteland could be given on lease
individually and not collectively. Then the responsibility could be pinned
down. It won’t become a ‘sarakari kam’ (government work).
If we stick on and show that there is a profit in the enterprise, then women
would definitely stay together. It appears to be a good scheme, where the
government appears to provide the basic resources.
I suggest that we divide the responsibility of trees among all the members
and then the sense of ownership would come. There would be competition,
which would prompt everybody to do better. We should sell the fruits
together, so that the cost of transport, et cetera, would be shared.
We are sure that if land plots are available our men would not allow us to
have the title of the land in our name. We are willing to do horticulture
but the land is to be given in the name of men.
Some of us have sufficient land of our own. Can we take the scheme on
our own land and grow fruits?
I feel that we can do horticulture and also have a goat each because we
can get enough leaves and fodder for the goat, once we have the orchard.
In our SHG group of 10 women, six have farms of their own. So, we do
not go for agriculture labour. If we take the plot for horticulture collectively
how could it be managed? Those who would work would get wages from
the group, but those who do not work, would they be able to get a share
of the profit or not?
We must have courage. Courage to take risk, otherwise we would never
succeed. Once we come forward we would find a way to solve issues.
(Ansurda village)
I find that this is the best scheme. It provides us wages for work and also
assets such as horticulture, which would provide profit, year after year.
We have devsthan (community temple) land and also some water in the
well. I will try to convince the trustees of my community to donate the
land to our SHG and we would plant the orchard. I am sure if I take the
initiative other women would follow. This is a good idea. You must help
me to talk to the trustees of the temple. (Naldurg, Jai Durgamata Group)