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CUTS Centre for Consumer Action, Research & Training (CUTS CART), in partnership with The World Bank, organised a State Level Dissemination Meeting (SLDM) under the project 'Assessing 2Qs (Quality & Quantity) Outputs of the 'National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), as per the provision of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, being implemented in Sirohi District of Rajasthan, at Patel Bhawan, Jaipur on July 16, 2008. Using tools like Citizen Report Card (CRC), Community Score Card (CSC) and Participatory Expenditure Tracking Survey (PETS), CUTS CART assessed the implementation of NREGS and brought out the report of the citizens on delivery of various services entitled under NREGS. The overall objective of dissemination was to propagate the effectiveness of Social Accountability tools and its potential to improve service delivery among policy makers as well as sharing of the key findings of the assessment.
 The events of the day included screening of SAc film, presentation of key findings and recommendations. SAc film 'Social Accountability in Action: Experiences from Grassroots' showing the experiences from grassroots of using the tools of Social Accountability in getting better service delivery was shown to the participants. Om Prakash Arya of CUTS presented the key findings that emerged out of the assessment of CRC, observations during CSC, Focused Group Discussions (FGDs), interviews, meetings with nearly 1025 people including service recipients (825) and service providers (200). The findings were disseminated in presence of policy makers, senior bureaucrats, Panchayat Raj Institution (PRI) representatives, CSOs and media persons. Few of the key findings and recommendations are enlisted below. Key Findings
Provided employment during lean season in own villages itself (97 percent).
Improved facilities in the villages (94 percent).
Helped in reducing migration (93 percent).
Helped in increasing the monthly income (87 percent).
Improvement of the status of women in the family (75 percent).
Recommendations
Exclusive Programme Officers with the responsibility of only NREGS with all required infrastructure and powers (related to executing agency at grassroots) at every block.
Direct recruitment of staff (with reasonable salary and qualification) for NREGS at Gram Panchayat level on contract without involvement of any external agency.
A proper mechanism to accomplish social audit (Andhra Model, where an independent social audit council works for ensuring social audit) as per the provisions of the act.
A parallel set up to the existing administrative set up, hiring of qualified people from the market to support for the proper implementation of the NREGS, can be established (West Bengal has adopted this model & the payment is made to them from contingency).
A public private partnership for GO-NGO collaboration in the field of NREGS as being done in the field of education.
Source: CUTS CART
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