The Report - North 24 Parganas

give him and his wife food. They only help them during illnesses and give themnew clothes during the pujas.The pond that has been dug in the ten kathas of land belonging to DwipchandSardar was done under the NREGA Project. Though he has a job card in hisname, Sardar has never worked at digging as he has never done it before anddoes not have the ability to do it. When asked what he does with the card thenSardar answers that people borrow it to work but he does not get any money inreturn. The aim to get a job card in this case is purely to get some benefits like abank account with which he could apply for a loan in the future and also to geta pension/stipend for not being able to work.Dwipchand says that people who could not dig a hundred spades full of soil in aday are now digging three hundred to four hundred a day. “Just imagine what isgoing on here,” he says and adds, “They simply show that they have dug somuch without doing the actual job and all this to earn some money.” Hehowever does say that he could not have afforded to have his pond dug byhimself and that if not much he has had some benefits from it. People have beenbenefitted overall. “But some people say that they don’t get the money in timeso they don’t want to work under the Project,” claims Sardar.Sardar says that even in as recent times as when the CPI (M) party was in powerthe villagers had to take loans from money lenders against their land but nowthey go directly to the Panchayat or bank to apply for a loan. “One must haveover two bighas of land to get a loan sanctioned. One who does not have thatamount of land cannot even apply. They won’t accept the application,” heexplains. That is why he has never applied for a loan himself.Dwipchand Sardar says that the work generated by the job card has other workinvolved in it at the supervisory level. As he is unable to do any heavy job, hewould have applied for the supervisory post if given an opportunity but he saysthat the panchayat members have their own people and do not let the ordinaryvillagers do the job. Had that been possible, he would have got the chance towork under the Project.He claims that the Panchayat had announced that those unable to do heavywork would get some other opportunities but he does not know what and whenthe opportunity would come and he cannot see one coming any way.In conclusion it can be said that not every beneficiary is happy with the workingof the NREGA Project. Dwipchand Sardar is unable to do heavy work and hasbeen offered no alternatives for it under the NREGA scheme. He only has had hispond dug and some seedlings given. That is not enough for him. He needs toearn under the Project to make the Project’s aim successful.