“Under MGNREGA, a well was to be constructed
in my name. I was happy that I would get adequate water for irrigation, grow vegetables and earn some money. I mortgaged my fields,
borrowed some money and had the well made, but a year has passed and the
government has not paid me. People are reminding me of the loans and I am in
extreme distress,” Janmajay Singh,48, sobs over the phone while telling his
woes.
Janmajay is a resident of Aara village
in Patratu gram panchayat in Jharkhand’s Chanho block. Chanho block has about
250 farmers like Janmajay for whom wells were to be made under the Mahatma
Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), but they did not get
any payment from the government even after the wells were constructed. Due to
this, the farmers make frequent visits to the Block Office besides staging a
protest there.
Lakhan Mahato, 45, a farmer from
Chanho block’s Patratu village had committed suicide on July 26. He too had
made a well under MGNREGA and could not get a payment for it.
Under MGNERGA, in 2017-18 a well was
sanctioned in Lakhan Mhahto’s name. He constructed the well out of his own
pocket and was paid Rs2,01,471. He did not, however, get the remaining payment
of Rs 1.5 lakh which left him desolate.
He had taken loans worth Rs 1.5 lakh from
his three relatives for the purpose of well-making. Like him, several farmers
of Chanho block had the well constructed with their own money and now are
running from pillar to post for their payment in the Block Office.
Yamuna Oraon, 44, a farmer residing in
Badripur village of Chanho Block informed: “I was sanctioned Rs 3.54 lakh. I
finished the well three months ahead. I have purchased bricks worth a lakh of
rupees besides taking loans. I haven’t received any money from the Block
Office. I am in grave distress.”
She added: “Lakhan ended his life. He
was helpless, so am I. People demand their dues, but I hide from them. I
protested in front of the Block Office but to no avail. My earnest appeal to
the government to return poor farmers their money, what good would come out
of holding our money from us.”
If we talk about MGNREGA’s pending
balance payment, as per their website’s records, a total of Rs 1.5 crore is
pending as the balance payment towards Jharkhand’s 24 districts. However,
Chanho block’s Business Development Officer (BDO) Santosh Kumar informed:”As
per the regulation, there is no question of any pending balance. The wells are
constructed under MGNREGA, so every beneficiary works as labour based on a
job card to make a well. He will be paid for the number of days of work he puts
in.”
BDO Santosh Kumar informed: “Besides,
the construction material must be procured from the authorized vendor only. I
wouldn’t know upon what basis these farmers are demanding payments. Do they
have any written order permitting them to source construction material from
external agencies? When the vendor is providing the material, the question of
farmers paying doesn’t arise.”
Challenging the BDO’s opinion Krishna
Mohan, a protestor said: “The BDO’s vendor- supply talk is incorrect. The block
has just 7-8 vendors who are incapable of providing the material needed by all
the farmers, so the farmers are purchasing their own material to be used for
their wells. Vendor supply is also being insisted upon because it ensures the
official’s steady commission. Directing the money to the farmers’ accounts
doesn’t provide them with a commission.”
Krishna Mohan said: “I know of 250
farmers who are worried due to the non-payment of their dues. Someone has
mortgaged the fields and some other has taken loans for the wells.”He added:
“It was assured after Lakhan Mahato’s death that the payments shall be released
as soon as possible. Nothing of the sort seems to be happening presently. If this
situation continues, we may have to stage another major protest.”