[afro-nets] Bio-metric linked payment tracking under NREGA

[Kris Dev <krisdev@gmail.com>]

Bio-metric linked payment tracking under NREGA
----------------------------------------------

Dear all,

I am glad to inform you all, a pilot project undertaken to track
payments made under the NREGA/APREGA programme using bio-metric
authentication to workers (male and female) employed under NREGA
programme was successfully carried out on Thursday, April 27,
2006, Jakulla Kutha Palli (JK Palli, a remote hamlet of about
200 families, under the Amaduguru Mandal, about 35 kms from the
town of Kadiri, about 95 kms from Ananthapur District Headquar-
ters).

The bio-metric tracking was 100% successful, with no failures,
using a stand alone bio-metric device and a 12 volt car battery,
as there was no power supply for the whole day in the entire
Mandal.

Probably, this is the first time, such a bio-metric tracking of
payments under the NREGA has been successfully carried out. The
minutes of the meeting of the local committee for payment dis-
bursement done in JK Palli elaborates the details of bio-metric
tracking and payment, after verifying the ID Card issued for the
purpose. 50% of the beneficiaries are women.

The bio-metric authentication, was not without its own attendant
problems, as some of the women, came directly from work, with
cement/lime mortar coating in the finger. Some fingers were very
rough and a second finger print registration had to be taken.
But 100% success rate was achieved, out of which, 80% in the
very first attempt and 20% in the second attempt.

The bio-metric tracking can be easily replicated all over India
to ensure fool proof payment mechanism. In addition to bio-
metric, the photo of the individual is also incorporated.

The payments can be made into a Post Office Account to be held
jointly by the family, to avoid cash handling and possible loss/
misuse/abuse of cash-in-hand situation.

The above work was made possible, thanks to the encouragement
and support received from UNDP - Work and Employment, Decen-
tralization, Gender Communities Group, OWSA, MSSRF, REDS, APPS,
CEC (Gopal), Dept. of Panchayati Raj, GOI, Dept. of Rural Ad-
ministration, Govt. of AP and Collector, Ananthapur and MDO,
Amaduguru Mandal,

We look forward to hearing from you, your feed-back.

Kris Dev, Co-Founder,
International Transparency and Accountability Network
Life Line to Community / Society and Life Line to Business
Tel.: + 91-98-408-521-32
mailto:krisdev@gmail.com
http://TrAcNet.blogspot.com
http://ll2b.blogspot.com


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On 4/26/06, Neera Burra <neera.burra@undp.org> wrote:

Dear Friends,

UNDP has signed an agreement with the Government of India to
support the operationalisation of the recently enacted National
Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) passed by Parliament in
August 2005. This as you all know, is a legislation that guaran-
tees wage employment on public works to any adult who is willing
to do unskilled manual work, subject to a limit of 100 days per
household per financial year. Failing this, the person will be
provided with a daily unemployment allowance (one third to one
half of the minimum wage). If employment or compensation is not
given, the concerned person has the right to seek judicial in-
tervention to secure his/her rights.

This is not a targeted programme but one based on the principle
of self-selection.

There are several challenges in implementing the NREGA, but we
felt that there is a need to focus on some key priorities. These
would include communications, advocacy and social mobilization;
social audit to ensure transparency and accountability; partici-
patory planning for preparing need-based shelves of projects;
and monitoring and evaluation including MIS for enhancing effi-
ciency and effectiveness. This would require all round capacity
building for different implementing agencies and other key
stakeholders. Gender equity concerns need to be mainstreamed and
we are proposing to the Ministry of Rural Development that they
set up a Gender Watch to ensure that gender equity issues high-
lighted in the Act are not ignored in the implementation proc-
ess.

This project will support the MoRD in its efforts to operation-
alize the NREGA. This project will be implemented in phases. The
first phase will commence immediately for a period of 12 months
and would focus on development of national and sub-national com-
munications strategies, development of capacity building tools
to support the state governments and development of modules and
prototypes for ICT-based MIS and M&E systems, including social
audit and local planning. Consultations will also be held with
key resource organizations which could support implementation of
NREGA.

The second phase, of 5­year duration, will build upon the in-
sights gained in the first phase and, sustain National efforts
initiated towards strengthening management capacities, supervi-
sion, monitoring & evaluation, research and capacity building
measures.

In this context I am writing to request you to share with us
names and contact addresses of individuals and organizations who
have worked on the issues mentioned above and who would be in-
terested in participating in a supportive role to ensure that
NREGA is implemented in letter and spirit. Your assistance in
building up this data base will ensure that implementation is
both inclusive and participative.


Thanks in advance,

Neera Burra
UNDP
New Delhi
mailto:neera.burra@undp.org