With two more years left for India to achieve its Millennium Development Goals (MDG) targets set for 2015, the poorest of the poor are still left out from various social sector schemes, says the findings of a ‘People’s Report Card’.
The report, released here on Tuesday by the Wada Na Todo Abhiyan, a coalition of 4,000 rights-based groups, called for greater political will to make the required financial allocations for flagship schemes in the area of food security, healthcare and education. The organisation is also an affiliate of the UN Millennium Campaign and the Global Call to Action against Poverty.
“The poor state of implementation of Government programmes and schemes is clearly reflected in the report….The Government needs to back its promises with resources and sincere political commitment for implementation,” said Amitabh Behar, Convenor, Social Watch, India and Director, National Foundation of India, at a press conference here.
The report, which reviewed the implementation of flagship schemes in major States found that the actual wages offered for work under MGNREGA (the rural job guarantee scheme) were lower than the States’ prescribed wages, such as in some panchayats in Tamil Nadu. In Karnataka, job card holders were made to sign on cheques and Rs 100 was handed over to each card holder without assigning them any work, the report said.
Richa Singh, South Asia, Executive Director, Centre for Democracy and Social Action said, “Governmental schemes are not providing a solution to the problems of the people as their real needs are not being heard and properly assessed.”
With the 2014 general elections approaching, the report called upon the Central and State Governments to create mass awareness on various schemes and programmes through various mediums such as print, electronic media, newspapers, displays at health centres and schools.
Also, adequate checks and balances should be in place to check corruption in the implementation of flagship schemes and the reported diversion of funds meant exclusively for Dalits and Adivasis under the Special Component Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan should cease, among other measures.