Dear friends,

The National Rural Employment Guarantee Bill 2004 was cleared by the Cabinet on 15 December, but the relief was shortlived. Indeed this "employment guarantee" Bill has been diluted beyond recognition. Aside from the sabotage mentioned in earlier updates, it is now learnt that the latest version of the Bill restricts both the employment guarantee and the unemployment allowance to "poor" households (read BPL households). This amounts to a neat last-minute spiking of the Act, which was meant to be based on universal entitlement and self-selection. In the light of these developments, the demonstration on 21 December in Delhi (see below) will be not just a display of banners but also a protest against this sabotage.

We are trying to keep track of the latest developments and post as much information as possible on the campaign website (www.righttofoodindia.org), in the "Employment Guarantee" section. The "official" version of the Bill is still under wraps, but it is expected to be tabled in Parliament sometime during the next 2-3 days. As soon as the official version is available the website will be updated again.

DISPLAY OF BANNERS ON 21 DECEMBER

As mentioned in earlier updates, a massive signature campaign has been taking place all over the country during the last few weeks. Signatures demanding the immediate adoption of a full-fledged Employment Guarantee Act have been collected on large banners, which are now on their way to Delhi. The public display of banners - about 3,000 of them - will be taking place at Jantar Mantar (Parliament Street) on 21 December. We shall be assembling from 10 am onwards and the demonstration will start at 11 am.

Approximately 1000 participants, representing more than 200 organisations, are expected from various parts of the country. There will be a reception team at Jantar Mantar from 8 am onwards to assist participants coming from outside Delhi. If you are bringing banners, please reach Jantar Mantar well before 10 am (the sooner the better), as the arrangement of banners is likely to be a major task.

Participants are requested to help with stitching small sized banners (less than 5m wide) on either side so that they can be supported by a stick for display. Longer banners are expected to be erected on trees, railings and other available spaces. Since we have to erect a large number of banners in quick time, it would be of help if participants can tie their banners with a "sutli" and keep them ready for display. Efforts are on to erect as many banners as possible, if required by extending it up to Connaught Place.

The display of banners at Jantar Mantar will end at 2 pm. From there we shall go to 4 Ashoka Road (about 1 km from Jantar Mantar) for a follow-up cultural programme and informal meeting. This will also be an opportunity to discuss further mobilisation for a full-fledged Employment Guarantee Act during the next few months.

If you require any help or information at any time please contact Navjyoti (9811087811), Annie (9811553633), Somanathan (9810994611), Subhash (9810810365), or Vivek (3091 7116, 9350530150).

FOLLOW-UP MEETING ON 22 DECEMBER

A follow-up meeting will be held on 22 December, from 10 am to 1 pm, to review the situation and plan further activities. This meeting is likely to take place at the Indian Social Institute (Lodi Road), but the venue remains to be confirmed. The agenda will be decided collectively on 21 December itself. The contact persons listed above will be able to provide confirmed details of this meeting on 21 December.

FLAWS OF THE EMPLOYMENT GUARANTEE BILL 2004

By way of update on the flaws of the Employment Guarantee Bill to be tabled in Parliament in a few days, we copy below the relevant portion of a recent "communique" on this from the Communist Party of India (Marxist), issued soon after the Cabinet meeting on 15 December.

From "Communist Party of India (Marxist)"
Date: Sat Dec 18, 2004 11:19 am
Subject: Polit Bureau Communique

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) met on December 17 and 18, 2004 at New Delhi. It has issued the following statement:
...

Employment Guarantee Act

The bill to enact a rural employment guarantee Act has been introduced in parliament. This is to fulfill a commitment made in the Common Minimum Programme. However, it is unfortunate that the present bill represents a dilution of the provision made in the CMP. Instead of providing for a hundred days minimum work for one adult in every rural household, the bill seeks to target "poor households" whereby only those who are below poverty line (BPL) beneficiaries can avail of the scheme. There is no provision for payment of the statutory minimum wage decreed by the state governments. Nor is there any time period prescribed for extending the coverage of the act to the whole country.
There is no provision for ensuring employment of women in the scheme either through the nature of the work specified or by providing that 40 per cent of the jobs should go to women.
There is also no provision for the Centre providing hundred per cent of the funding and the states have to bear a share of the burden.
All these defects need to be removed if the National Employment Guarantee Act has to serve the needs of minimum employment for a vast section of the people in the rural areas.
The Polit Bureau expects the UPA government to rectify these defects in the process of the parliamentary discussions so that a more comprehensive and effective legislation can be adopted.