Thread by @MajuVarghese

Nikil Dey speaking on Re-imagining The Future series @nikhilmkss @cfa_ind @E_S_G @focus @mj_vijayan @OfficialYUVA @alwaysfranc
#ReimaginingTheFuture #rightToWork #mnrega

We need to look at the concept of Right Work and not just NREGA when we reimagine the future. What seemed impossible entered the mainstream political discourse Now there is a need to strengthen it.

This should look at

1) State and its role
2) Employment and work particularly in the covid crisis
3) idea of nature of work

The NREGA program is not just a women centered program but a program which women have seized. It is not a womens program but a women workers program as the women dominates the work force but not the management.

We need more women in management. We need s equal pay for equal work but also work that rebuilds the environment and common infrastructure for village and stop distress migration and that is why the role of the state is important.

There is a politics in the right to work . The basic slogan was Har Hath for kam mile , kam ko sahi dam mile . It is about women men, Hindu Muslim all working together. It is the idea of future which is humane and equitable which we need to see in this program.

Strengthening the NREGA - There should not be a change in basic principles like the Minimum wage for agricultural workers, Work on Demand,work for common infrastructure, It is close to home, fight the environmental degradation and climate change - We need to protect all these

We now face an issue of disaster, there is a provision for 50 days more work in case of drought or disaster. We need to have unlimited work and funds should not be limitation. Who ever demand should get work.

There are three things which need to happen, work on demand, correct wages for the work, payment in time.

The government is lying when they say payments are made on time. We need transparency and delay compensation which is more.

Bengal is facing a double disaster. We need to have a situation when any number of days of work is possible for the people to rebuild their lives. This is what we can do in Covid times too. @MamataOfficial

We need to look at NREGA (plus) for universalisation of basic services. It is strengthening of other areas of commons and not just infrastructure work. This could be additional.

We do need an urban employment guarantee act. For this we need to strengthen the urban participatory governance learning from the rural program.

It should have involvement of the local self government, social audit, participatory planning and we need to build the urban institutions and that will strengthen the urban participatory governance

Transparency, accountability and peoples participation and social audit for social accountability. We need have these in economic package, PM cares so that there is transparency social accountability.

NREGA is an economic multiplier and not a dole. There was not evaluation of the work done under the NREGA, how much the regeneration of wells or roads built have yielded. Need to imagine this much wider. #ReimagineTheFuture

@threadreaderapp unrolll please