Some thoughts on how the SHGs supported by the National Rural Literacy Mission can be used to enhance implementation of Mahatma Gandhi NREGA. This has been developed for a Workshop at Ranchi, Jharkhand on NRLM-MGNREGA-PRI Convergence for Livelihood Generation for the Poor.

1. NRLM-MGNREGA-PRI
Convergence:
A suggestive framework
Dibyendu
Sarkar, Commissioner, MGNREGS, West
Bengal
http://devdreamer.blogspot.in

2. How SHGs can support
implementation of MGNREGA
• Awareness generation through social
mobilization and inter-personal
communication- SHGs may play key role
• Identification of vulnerable households for
implementation of schemes in the IBS Sector
• Identification of smaller schemes for
vulnerable households involving women
workers
• Working as an agency for registration of
demand

3. How SHGs can support
implementation of MGNREGA
• Participation in Planning and preparation of
Labour Budget
– the SHG members belonging to the Sub-Clusters may
visit house-to-house and also meet the job card
holders in clusters to identify:
– Which of the households have members willing to join
MGNREGS workforce?
– How many days the members would like to work in
the programme?
– What could be the seasonality of work demand?
– What are the prospective schemes where work will
be available and assets created?
– What could be the works where women participation
is easier?

4. How SHGs can support
implementation of MGNREGA
• Participation in Monitoring and Supervision of
work
– SHGs may engage their members as Supervisors at
all worksites
– SHG clusters and Federations may collectively
monitor implementation of the Act and the
Scheme at their respective level
– SHG Clusters and Federations may be co-opted in
the Vigilance & Monitoring Committees at
different level

5. How SHGs can support
implementation of MGNREGA
• Participation in Social audit
– SHG members may be part of the Social Audit Teams
at the Gram Panchayat level
– SHG Clusters and Federations may organize
sensitization programme for their members on
transparency and social audit provisions in MGNREGA
– When actual Social Audit is conducted in the
field, SHG Clusters and Federations may provide
necessary inputs to the SA Teams
– SHGs may collectively participate in SA Gram Sabhas

6. How MGNREGA can support the SHGs
• MGNEGA itself can trigger formation of more
SHGs for implementation of collective
schemes
• RGBNSK built with MGNREGS fund may be
utilized for different social mobilization
activities of the SHG Clusters and Federations
• Individual and collective assets for SHG
members an be developed through MGNREGS
which can further be used for livelihood
generation by the groups

7. How SHGs can take the livelihood opportunities
developed through MGNREGS further
• Channelizing credit for strengthening
livelihood support activities taken up under
MGNREGS
• Forming special purpose groups to provide
marketing linkage to the products, especially
in group orchards

8. PRI Convergence
• Build MGNREGA-NRLM Convergence in PRI
Training
• Give women Panchayat members key role
• Bring SHG Clusters and Federations in
Panchayat Sub-Committees/ Standing
Committees
• Make teams of PRI representatives and SHG
functionaries for preparation of habitation-
based MGNREGA implementation plans

9. Some food for thought
• Can SHG be entrusted as PIA in MGNREGS?
• Should we fix up a percentage of MGNRGA
allocation for implementation of all-Women
works?
• What could be the specific works where
women participation is easier to achieve?