Manual for Intensive Participatory
Planning Exercise for MNREGA
2014-15
Photo courtesy PACS
Prepared by Resource Team at Ministry of Rural Development, GoI
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Table of contents
Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW of MNREGA
Chapter 2: NEED FOR PARTICIPATORY PLANNING
Chapter 3: PREPARATORY STEPS
Chapter 4: UNDERSTANDING THE COMMUNITY, MAPPING OF NEEDS ANDESTIMATION OF
DEMAND
Chapter 5: IDENTIFICATION OF WORKS AND PRIORITISATION OF PEOPLES NEEDS
Chapter 6: BASIC PRINCIPLES OF PLANNING AND UNDERSTANDING WATERSHED
Chapter 7: CONVERGENCE
Chapter 8: FACILITATING GRAM SABHA FOR APPROVAL
ANNEXURES
Abbreviations& Glossary
BPT
SRT
DRT
IPPE
GS
GP
GRS
Gram Sabha
Block Planning Team
State Resource Team (of Trainers)
District Resource Team (of Trainers)
Intensive Participatory Planning Exercise
Gram Sabha
Gram Panchayat
Gram RozgarSewak or equivalent Panchayat level MGNREGS
functioanry
The Gram Sabha is defined differently in different states and areas. In
some areas the Gram Sabha is constituted at the Gram Panchayat
Level. In PESA areas, Gram Sabha is constituted at the traditional
Habitation level. In Sixth Schedule areas there are traditional village
authorities.
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Purpose of the Manual and the way it is organized?
This manual aims to be a guide for the Block Planning Team (BPT) Members in the 2500
most backward blocks selected for the Intensive Participatory Planning Exercise (IPPE). BPT
members are selected under the leadership of the Block Level Charge Officer for IPPE, from
among youths (women and men)belonging to MGNREGS workers’ households. They are
expected to have completed at least elementary schooling with reading/writing/
conversation skills in the local language. BPT Members will be grouped together in subteams for facilitating Planning for given Gram Panchayats.
The manual seeks to provide a simple and step by step guide on how to conduct
participatory planning exercise to prepare a prioritised list of works for MNREGA at the
Village/Hamlet/Ward level and compile it at the GP Level. Itintroduces technical matters as
relevant for local planning, in simple terms.
This Manual also forms the key background material for the Trainers at National, State and
District Level with the ultimate objective of enabling the members of the Block Planning
Team to understand and use this manual to facilitate Participatory Planning Exercise in their
allocated Gram Panchayats.
Chapter 1:Discusses MGNREGA, its importance for households and individuals dependent
on wage labour.
Chapter 2: Discusses the need for Participatory Planning and why the IPPE has been
initiated.
Chapter 3: Discusses preparatory work to be done before visiting the Gram Panchayat and
the villages in it, for facilitating the IPPE process.
Chapter 4: Discusses the approaches, processes and tools to facilitate better understanding
among the villagers of their own conditions as well as provide opportunity to the BPT to gain
an understanding about the village/hamlet.
Chapter 5: Discusses the approaches, processes and tools to facilitate the collective
development of a plan for the Hamlet/Village/Ward and the Gram Panchayat, to improve
livelihoods and living conditions of the people - especially the poor and vulnerable groups as per their needs and priorities.
Chapter 6:Discusses some easy to understand technical aspects of common MGNREGS
works placed in the overall context of Watershed Development. This helps the BPT to
understand the local context and facilitate planning.
Chapter 7:Provides information on Convergence between MGNREGA staff and resources
and staff and resources related to other government schemes and programmes and how
work and achievement under MGNREGS can be enhanced through Convergence.
Chapter 8Covers the preparation and processes involved in conducting a gram Sabha which
is the last step in the IPPE. This chapter also seeks to address some of the concerns around
conflicts that may arise during the gram Sabha but also the IPPE as a whole.
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Chapter 1
Status of MNREGA
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) was passed
by the Parliament in 2005 to provide the right to wage employment for 100 days to every
rural household in the country. While there were employment programmes run by the
government before the passing of the MGNREGA, these were run as schemes where the
administration had a duty to provide employment but people did not have a right to
demand and get employment.
MGNREGA has four major objectives:
1. Provision of Wage employment to Rural Workers
2. Creation of Assets for Strengthening Rural Livelihoods
3. Strengthening participatory local governance by empowering Gram Panchayats to
plan and implement works.
4. Strengthening transparency and accountability through inbuilt Mechanisms
After 8 years of it being implemented, has the report card for MGNREGA been good? On
some points MGNREGA seems to have done very well indeed. Large numbers of rural
households have got employment. On the average about 5 crore households got
employment every year. The quantity of employment generated is more than any other
employment programme in the past. Since the inception of MGNREGA, it has generated 250
crore persondays of employment. It is indeed the largest employment programme
anywhere in the world. Something that we can be really proud of.
Compared to previous employment programmes, MGNREGS has provided greater power to
Panchayats to decide what work is to be done and to implement them. Compared to
previous employment schemes MGNREGA has surely ensured greater transparency and
accountability. It has linked large numbers of households to banks. About 10 crore new bank
accounts have been opened on account of payment of MGNREGS wages through banks.
On the negative side, wages have often been delayed and in some areas wages have been
really low as compared to the wages notified for the state for MGNREGA. Often people do
not even know that they can get work on demand and they wait for works to open instead
of demanding to get work. There are also questions about the assets create through
MGNREGA. Has the quality of assets under MGNREGS been up to the mark? Have the assets
addressed the needs of the poorest households? These are key areas that need to be looked
at. But it’s also important to ask if plans have been really prepared by the villagers through
participatory processes? Or have they been prepared by officials?
Are we happy with the performance in these areas? Can there be improvement? Every year
we get the opportunity to plan for MGNREGA work for our Panchayats and villages. Can we
this year try to make the plans better? Participatory planning can improve both the quality
of the assets and the choice and location of assets from the perspective of the poor and
vulnerable communities and households. Can we this year plan enough good quality work
so that everyone who wants work in our villages and Panchayats get employment on work
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that provides good wages while creating assets that improve the income and livelihoods of
our people –especially the poor?
The workers of rural India suffer from long periods of unemployment. This leads to large
scale migration as well as low wage rates, especially during periods of low demand for
labour. While it is true that during peak agricultural season there is demand for labourers,
with farmers often not getting workers for agricultural work, it is also true that outside the
agricultural season there is widespread and deep unemployment. Even small farmers
migrate to other areas to work as daily wage labourers. MGNREGA seeks to address this
directly in terms of providing wage employment when there is lack of it and also to create
assets that create and strengthen livelihoods or enhance living conditions of the people –
especially the poor.
India has the second largest population and the second largest population of workers in the
world. Our workers are our resource. If we can use their labour power in a planned and
productive manner, our villages can have employment throughout the year. People may still
want to migrate because they want better incomes but let’s create conditions that they do
not have to migrate on account of distress.
Our workers comprise of not only the young, but also the elderly people. In our villages
those with various kinds of disabilities also want to work and large numbers them work as
wage labourers. Of course very often they are paid lesser wages or remain unemployed
because employers are not willing to employ them or are willing to do so only if they accept
lower wages. In large parts of our country women are paid lower wages than men.
MGNREGS seeks to provide employment to women, to the elderly and to persons with
disability and pay them equal wages.
Our plans therefore have to keep in mind the following:
1. Households dependent on wage employment get work through MGNREGS.
Especially in months when there is lack of other employment.
2. Women, Elderly and Vulnerable people are able to get employment and equal
wages.
3. Assets created through MGNREGA are of good quality and enhance the livelihoods
or living conditions of the people – especially the poor and the vulnerable. Some
assets can achieve both.
4. People decide their needs and priorities after understanding the potential of
MNREGA
5. Gram panchayats once capacitated to function as institutions for the poor become
capable of preparing participatory plan for poverty reduction and local development.
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Chapter 2
Need for participatory planning
Why this Intensive Participatory Planning Exercise (IPPE)?
It is easily understood that the people of a village know better than any outsider about what
their situation is, what their problems are and what can be done to addrees their problems
and improve their situation. That is why participatory planning has been understood by the
government as the basic cornerstone of rural development. Of course knoweldge and
techniques from external technical personnel and those who have done similar works in
other places can be very useful. But the right as well as the duty to plan for MGNREGA work
for a Panchayat or a villages lies with its people – especially those who want to work under
MGNREGA.
The stress on ‘participation’ in planning has been made in various MNREGA policy
documents. Para 7 of Schedule I of the Act clearly mandates that there shall be a systematic,
participatory planning exercise at each tier of Panchayat, conducted between August to
December month of every year, as per a detailed methodology laid down by the State
Government. All works to be executed by the Gram Panchayats shall be identified and
placed before the Gram Sabha, and such works which are to be executed by the
intermediate Panchayats or other implementing agencies shall be placed before the
intermediate or District Panchayats, along with the expected outcomes. Chapter 6 of the
operational guidelines also lays down elaborate procedures on how the planning exercise
will take place.
In spite of the law and guidelines laying down the participatory planning process quite
clearly, only a few states prepare annual plans and the labour budget in the true spirit of the
Act. The IPPE therefore is effort to deepen participation in the planning process for
MNREGA by providing hands on support to states to build the capacity of field functionaries
and community volunteers to build a people’s plan for every village and GP in 2500 most
backward blocks across the country. Your Block and GP has been selected for this process
and the effectiveness of MGNREGA in the country depends greatly on how well you are able
to prepare the plans for your Panchayat and villages.
Before the steps of the IPPE are outlined, it is important to understand what we mean by
participation? What are some of the core principles of participation and how is this different
from other planning processes?
What are the features of participatory planning?
Participatory planning is an approach and a methodology which helps identify community
problems and to plan solutions with the active participation of community members.This
methodology facilitates the identification, preparation and design of community projects
based on the reality and criteria of its members. It is not merely a method of ‘consulting’ the
community but bringing their contributions to the very centre of the planning process. In
short it is a people-centric process that puts the poorest first.
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Some key features and benefits of participation over conventional planning methods:
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Mobilises the community to understand the situation, resolve their own problems
and raises consciousness of their rights and entitlements
Informs people of the possibilities for planning and executing local development
interventions and they identify their development needs-collective and individual
Norms or criteria such extent of benefits, cost efficiency, prioritisation etc are
collectively arrived at
Promotes greater inclusiveness by using techniques that are easily accessible and
understood.
It builds trust and understanding between different groups in a community by
creating spaces for each perspective to be heard
Promotes greater transparency since members are involved in collective decision
making where all members get a chance to comments on proposals, criticize and
revise
It acknowledges power differentials within the community and ensures that the
voice of the ‘last is heard first’ and that these voices are reflected in the way plans
are prepared and also prioritized
It is not a stand-alone process but leads to increased participation in implementation
and oversight
It teaches skills which last beyond the planning process. People learn to run
meetings, to analyse data, to construct strategic plans - in short, to become
community resource persons and leaders.
Shifts control of development from a few to the larger community and increases
ownership
Increases the credibility of the projects that are taken up because they have
emerged from a collective decision making process
The participatory approach to planning described above will be the cornerstone of the IPPE
as well.
As you are doing Participatory Planning in your gram panchayat and villages, people across
2500 of India’s poorest blocks are also doing similar planning. This is being conducted in a
campaign mode by the States across the selected blocks. As a part of this:
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There will be intensive door to door exercise covering all SC, ST, Women, Persons
with Disability and other vulnerable groups to express their demand for work.
Block Planning Teams (BPT) identified for every Block will facilitate
participatoryplanning exercise for every GP through Village/Hamlet/Ward
participatory planning processes.
This plan will then be passed at the Gram Sabha following which administrative
sanctions will be accorded to it
The objective behind this Intensive Participatory Planning Process is to ensure that the
works that are taken up under MGNREGA are the ones that are most needed by the
community and to ensure that people living in these blocks secure a means of livelihood
support through creation of assets desirable to them.
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What are the key steps in the planning process?
•Meeting of Block Officials conducted by charge officer for allocation of responsibilities and to
initiate identification of BPT Members from among youth of Workers' Households.
•Meeting of Block Officials and the identified BPT Members followed by training of BPT
Members and Block Officials
•Orientation Meeting of elected heads of Gram Panchayats, Members of Block Level Panchayat,
and GP/Block Level functionaries of community based organisations. The meeting will finalise
Step 2: the Block Level IPPE Calendar.
First visit •BPT and Block Officials explain IPPE to all Elected members of the Gram Panchayat
to GP •Gram Panchayat facilitates a meeting of the BPT with Elected Representatives and identified
members of People's Institutions. Meeting identifies local contact persons for
Step 3:
nderstan villages/hamlets/wards and finalises IPPE Calendar for GP.
ding the •Opening discussion in public meeting at the ward/hamlet/village level
communi •FGDs with Key Stakeholders, undertaking Social Mapping, Amenities Mapping, Resource
ty
Mapping, Transect Walk, Household Survey for Identified Most Vulnerable Households,
Step 4:
Planning Seasonality Analysis, Problem Analysis.
Step 1:
Orientati
on
meetings
for
develop
ment
Step 5:
Presentat
ion of
plan
•Visioning exercise for Village Development through MGNREGS
•Identification of MGNREGS Work through FGDs with stakeholders and transect walks
•Prioritising of works at the ward/hamlet/village level
•Matching Works to Demand for Employment
•First at the sub-panchayat level
•Final prioritisation and approval in gram sabha
Who will conduct the IPPE?
The success of the entire IPPE depend on a number of key actors and stakeholders. Each will
play a facilitation role in what is fundamentally participatory exercise. The illustration below
will help you place yourselves in the group of actors who will facilitate the IPPE.
PRI representatives
(Mukhiya,
sarpanch, ward
members etc.)
MGNREGA
functionaries
including charge
officer (PRS, TA, JE
etc.)
Other residents of
the GP especially
women and
vulnerable groups
Workers
Members of Block
Planning Team
IPPE
Observer
appointed by DPC
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Chapter 3: Preparatory Activities for Facilitating Participatory Planning
Before proceeding to a Panchayat for facilitating Participatory Planning some preparatory
work needs to be finished.
1. The Block level MGNREGS Officials and BPT Members must have shared
understanding and clarity of purpose and functions. The trained BPT Members would
have a first post training meeting with:
a. The MGNREGS functionaries of the Block and Gram Panchayats
b. Functionaries of line departments like agriculture, fisheries, horticulture,
animal husbandry and irrigation
Agenda and Output of the Block Level MGNREGS Officials Meeting
A presentation on participatory planning and opportunities of farm-based livelihoodenhancement through MGNREGA will be made in the meeting. There should also be a discussion
on the building sustainable livelihoods through NRM-based activities. This meeting would need
to come up with the following outcome and outputs:
a. Shared Understanding about the Process and Timelines and clarification of
doubts
b. Constitution of Teams and Allocation of Panchayats
c. Preparation of calendar for Panchayat Planning Process including gram sabha
dates
d. Allocation of Responsibilities among Block and Panchayat Level functionaries
to support organising of the planning process and logistics around the same.
2. Before the BPT goes to the Panchayats, an orientation cum planning meeting should
be held to orient all the important stakeholders and to develop the calendar for the
Block Level IPPE Process. This meeting should have the following participants
i. Block and GP Level MGNREGS Functionaries,
ii. Elected heads of Gram Panchayats,
iii. Elected members of the Block Level Panchayat,
iv. Identified leaders of Community Based Organisations –especially
those that have block level federations
v. Members of the Block Planning Team
Outputs of the Block Level Orientation Meeting
1. Shared Understanding about the Process and Timelines and clarification of doubts
2. Discussion around livelihood-enhancing intensive planning through MGNREGA.
3. Discussion on need for NRM-based planning, and possible land-based treatment for that
particular area (topography).
4. Preparation of Final Calendar for Panchayat Planning Process
5. List of leaders of Panchayat Level Institutions of women, youth, farmers, workers and so
on to be invited to the launch process.
6. Date of the Launch Meeting
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3. The Panchayat Members and the Villagers must be aware in advance that a
Participatory Planning Process is going to be facilitated in their village/panchayat. For
this Various IEC activities need to be carried out as outlined below
a. Pamphlets, Posters, Banners, Wall Writings and Hoardings
b. Appeals by Chief Ministers and Ministers through News Papers, Television
and Radio
c. Letters to Gram Panchayats and Elected Representatives by District
Magistrates and senior officials of MGNREGS
d. Development and use of Slogans promoting the IPPE (e.g. HamaraGaon,
HamaraVikas, HamaraYojna)
e. Mike Announcements, Pad Yatras, Kala Jathas and other folk art forms, in
Haats and other gatherings.
Designing and implementing effective awareness activities
The message of the IPPE must reach the primary stakeholders of MNREGA - the community as a
whole and vulnerable sections in particular. This can be achieved by developing an effective IEC
strategy. For this purpose successful Information Education and Communication (IEC) tools are to
be identified, designed and brought into use. Emphasis shall be given to undertake location/ area
specific IEC tools. While carrying out IEC activities care should be taken to ensure that messages
are communicated using local idioms to increase effectiveness. Some IEC tools that can be used
are listed in the box. Wherever necessary the same may be customized to suit the locality and
community. The charge officer will ensure that IEC material is made available to the BPT in
adequate quantities and in time.
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Do you think the BPT itself can do a Padyatra as an IEC Activity? In that case it may
require a Banner that can be carried by two members. It may also make some placards
that individual members can carry.
Preparing the status paper on MNREGA implementation in the GP
This is to be prepared by the implementation team of MGNREGS at the GP level using MIS
reports. The charge officer will be responsible for ensuring this with the help of the Block level
MIS personnel and the respective GRS or other staff in charge of implementing MGNREGS in the
Gram Panchayat. The status paper should reflect the details of HHs registered, employment
demanded, employment provided, list of completed, ongoing and abandoned works along with
their locations and status of progress. The information should be disaggregated on Social Group
(Caste/Tribe), Gender, Disability and Age
This will give a picture, in one glance, of the untapped potential of the programme and to
understand the extent to which the programme has benefitted the community as a whole and to
the vulnerable community in particular. This analysis will create a constructive environment for
planning the programme more effectively in the years to come and to increase the participation
of vulnerable groups (Format given in table 3 below)
Before conducting any meetings, the BPT must sit down and discuss this status paper thoroughly
so they are all familiar with the conditions of the panchayat where the will be conducting the
planning process.
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4. The Block Planning Teams must have their Planning Facilitation Kits
a. Allocation List of Gram Panchayats and Calendar for visits.
b. Necessary secondary information about the allocated Panchayat. This has
to be prepared by the GRS with support from the Block Level MIS Official.
c. Posters / Pamphlets and other Publicity Materials such as Banners
d. The Planning Handbook (This book)
e. Notebook, Pen and Supplies for Participatory Exercises: (such as chart
papers, A4 Sheets, Marker Pens, Bindis etc.
f. Information Sheet on Roles and Responsibilities of officials as regards the
IPPE Process at the Gram Panchayat Level
Participatory Planning In the Gram Panchayat
First meeting in the GP
The First Visit of the block planning team to a Gram Panchayat should be facilitated by the
PRI Functionaries (or the equivalent in areas where the Three Tier Panchayat raj System is
not functional). This is the meeting in which the Team gets introduced to the important
stakeholders of the Panchayat and presents its roadmap for the planning process.
It is imperative to express at this stage that the planning process is owned by the people of
the Panchayat and the BPT will merely facilitate the process through having interactions and
exercises with different stakeholders in the Panchayat. The first meeting therefore needs to
have participation from all the significant stakeholders that the BPT wants to interact over
the next few days.
The BPT can present its analysis of the situation of MGNREGS in the Gram Panchayat
focussing on potential for greater employment, better assets, completion rate, employment
of women and vulnerable groups, thus locating the need for the Participatory Planning
Process in this context.
Introducing MNREGA, issues and bottlenecks faced, clarification of ‘act’ and ‘scheme’,
employment and asset creation aspects of the programme, process of planning of works,
estimation of demand, permissible works, prospective of MGNREGS in enhancing the
livelihood and the support provided by the scheme in agriculture and horticulture activities,
conservation and protection of natural resources etc can be explained. There can be a
discussion on the need for natural resource management, and the possible treatment of
land for improving the productivity. Failure to capture the rain water and also to check the
soil erosion needs to be focused on.
Important dates such as the period the BPT will conduct the survey in the village and that of
the gram sabha should also be communicated during the launch meetings. Care shall be
taken that all communication is kept simple and in layperson’s language.
During the introductory interaction the BPT Sub Team can begin to map out the
demographic pattern of the Gram Panchayat with focus on the hamlets where the
vulnerable communities (such as SC, ST, and PTGs) reside as well as to obtain information on
SHGs and other institutions of occupational groups such as farmers groups, dairy
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cooperatives and so on. The Participatory Planning process will also include interaction with
such groups at the ward/ hamlet/ village level (i.e. the smallest habitation unit identified for
IPPE).
This is a list of members who can be invited to the introductory meeting. The Block/BPT
may want to add to this list as per the local context.
Stakeholders to be Invited to Panchayat Introduction Meeting
Elected Head of the Gram Panchayat
Panchayat’s representative in Intermediate Panchayats
Ward Members of all GPs
RozgarSevak and other Functionaries of the Gram Panchayat
Elected Chief Functionaries of Village/GP Level SHG Federations
Elected Chief Functionaries of Village/GP Level Farmers’ Organisations
Elected Chief Functionaries of Village/GP Level Workers’ Organisations
Elected Chief Functionaries of Village/GP Level Milk Cooperatives
Elected Chief Functionary/Representative of Youth Clubs
The role of SHGs in helping the BPT in community mobilization needs to be mentioned. And
a detailed plan with SHG representatives on how they can contribute to the planning
process should be discussed. Along with PRI representatives, they should also take
responsibility of mobilizing community members for the hamlet-level meetings.
The Planning process for a Gram Panchayat can be completed only after all villages and
wards have had an opportunity to prepare their plans. It is necessary at the introductory
meeting itself that a deadline is set for the Planning Process by which all the
Wards/Hamlets/Villages have to come up with their plans for presentation at the Gram
Sabha. Given the time constraints as well as the vulnerability focus of the IPPE, not all the
wards/villages can be covered by the BPT in an intensive manner. The BPT may therefore
have to prioritise habitations and allocate more time to the more vulnerable habitations
By the end of the meeting the following outcome and outputs should have been achieved:
1. The BPT Sub Team would have familiarised itself to the members present at the
meeting and explained to them the purpose of the Planning Process. The PRI
representatives should own the planning process.
2. The BPT Sub Team would have facilitated the finalisation of a calendar for visiting
different hamlets/villages/wards.
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3. The BPT Sub Team would have come up with a list of principal contact persons for
each hamlet/village/ward
4. The BPT Sub Team would have arrived at a first list of local youth/SHG members
who’d assist the BPT Sub Team in the planning process.
5. The PRI members should have decided a date for the holding of the final Gram Sabha
at which Village/Hamlet/Ward level plans will be presented for ratification.
6. The SHG representatives should have finalized a plan for mobilizing community
members for the concept-seeding meeting.
First meeting at the village/hamlet/ward Level
The first visit to an identified hamlet/village/ward would be based on the calendar
developed at the Introductory Gram Panchayat Meeting. The ward member/s and the
youth/SHG members identified by the BPT Sub Team for assisting the planning process
should have already intimated the visit plan of the Team. The team should have collected
and analysed details of MGNREGS employment for the village/hamlet/ward before visiting
it.
The first interaction could be an open meeting,
followed by different group level exercises that are
part of the planning process (discussed in the next
few chapters). During the first interaction, the Team
should share about the status of MGNREGS
employment in the Village/Hamlet/Ward in the
context of the Gram Panchayat, the Block, District,
State and National context. The discussion can focus
on the potential of improving both employment as
well as asset creation and asset quality through
better planning for MGNREGS.
During the general processes at
the Village/ Hamlet/ Ward level,
the BPT Sub Team needs to
facilitate the participation of
women and other vulnerable
groups. Apart from this, it must
also have separate Focus Group
Discussions (FGDs) with such
groups.
The Team can facilitate the discussion so that villagers are able to share the key issues they
are facing as regards the implementation of MGNREGS in their village. The discussion can
focus on employment, quality& utility of assets and the way the decision regarding assets
planning were taken. The BPT could try to bring out if the villager, especially the vulnerable
groups,s played a role in deciding the work that was carried out, the timing of the work and
the selection of workers.Care shall be taken that all communication is kept simple and in
layperson’s language.
Orientation of principal contact persons/local facilitators
By the end of the first meeting at the Village Level, the BPT Sub Team should have been able
to identify the local resource persons who’ll work closely with them over the
Understanding-Planning-Prioritising Phases. After the introductory open meeting, the Sub
Team could conduct an orientation session for such people at the same venue. Of course
this should not be a closed meeting and should be open to anyone who wants to sit.
However the sub team should ensure that those who it thinks are critical for the process
also attend. They should be given a brief orientation by the BPT Sub Team members to
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cover the basic provisions of the Act, the IPPE and their role during the planning process.
They should also have a shared understanding about the time available to complete the
IPPE process for the Hamlet/ Village/ Ward.
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Chapter 4
Understanding the community, mapping of needs and estimation of demand
The first step towards the planning process is to understand the community. It must be
remembered that the process involves not only the BPT gaining an understanding of the
community, but also the community itself understanding itself better.
While MGNREGS is meant for all, it’d be a sad thing if it did not provide employment and
assets to the poorest and the most vulnerable. Understanding the community therefore
implies an understanding the conditions of different households and groups. Are the
vulnerable communities (SC/ST/PTG) able to demand and get work? Are they able to plan
and get good quality and useful community assets?Are they able to get individual assets
that they are eligible for? Are vulnerable Households (e.g. woman headed) and Individuals
(e.g. PWD) able to get employment and assets? Understanding the community means
understanding that different households and different individuals have different needs.It is
important to understand their need for employment and their need for assets that can be
created through MGNREGS (independently or in convergence).
Non-Negotiable principles for participatory planning MNREGA
The process with the community should begin with explanations and
seeking their permission.
 Timing and pace should be governed by local context of separate
sections of the community.
 Recognise that different groups, as defined locally by age, gender, wellbeing, ethnicity, religion, caste, language etc. have different perspectives.
 Any knowledge and experience of the community or villagers should be
respected
 Facilitator team should use this planning process as an opportunity of
learning
 Be Open ,honest and transparent about the objectives of the MNREGA
planning process with all community sections
 Not interrupting, not lecturing, but being a good, active listener; during the
planning process
 Respect the fact that information is generated by local people and so ask
their permission to document, remove, and use information. When
possible, ensure that original diagrams and copies of reports remain in the
community.
 Handing over the stick, i.e., passing the initiatives and responsibility to
others;
 They can do it, empowering others through confidence in their
The key outputs from the tools used to understand the community are therefore:
capabilities; and Open-ended flexibility to make space for the priorities of
1.the
Vulnerable
poor. Communities
2.
Vulnerable
Households
 Handing over
the stick, i.e., passing the initiatives and responsibility to
3.others;
Their current status in terms of MGNREGS Employment and Assets

Page | 15
4. Their current resource ownership and control (community & individual)
5. Their need for MGNREGS Employment with seasonality of need
6. Their need for Assets in terms of community and individual assets
Key activities
A. Social Map
The Social Map at the Village/Hamlet/Ward level will present information regarding the
different households residing in the location with information on vulnerability category
depicted through symbols and/or colours. It will plot type of house, identify vulnerable HHs
(SC,ST, Women headed HH, PWD HH and other groups listed in the box below). It will also
depict information relating to the MGNREGS registration, employment and individual asset
creation status. The mapping process will itself have discussion regarding the status of
MGNREGS. But once the map is prepared, there can be Focus Group Discussion with
vulnerable households on the possible use of MGNREGS to reduce short term as well as long
term vulnerability through employment and asset creation.
The same map will also depict amenities available in the area such as roads, important
institutions and landmarks. The amenities mapping process can be used to discuss the
potential of MGNREGS by plotting current assets and the need and potential to develop new
ones.
Making a social map
A social map is a map that is drawn by the residents and which shows the layout of
residential houses, institutions and amenities found in an area. It also helps us to learn
about social and economic differences between the households.
Page | 16
Objectives:
To learn about the households and their location in the village/hamlet/ward
To learn about the socio-economic pattern in the village and the social, economic, gender
and ability related differences among the households
To learn about the social institutions and the different views local people might have
regarding those institutions.










1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Schedule I of MGNREGA
Key Questions:
How many households are found in the village and
Works creating Individual assets shall prioritised
on land or homestead owned by households
where are they located?
belonging to the:
How many HH have job cards?
1. Scheduled Castes
2. Scheduled Tribes
How many days of employment has each HH
3. Nomadic Tribes
received in the past year?
4. Denotified Tribes
5. Other Families below the Poverty Line
What are the institutions and amenities found in
6. Women Headed Households
the village and where?
7. Physically Handicapped Headed Household
8. Beneficiaries of Land Reforms
Are there specific parts where specific social groups
9. The beneficiaries under the Indira Awaas
(such as SCs, STs, OBCs, Others and Minorities) live.
Yojana
Which are the households that come under
10. Beneficiaries under the Scheduled Tribes
and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers
‘Paragraph 5’ eligibility for Individual Assets?
(Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (2
Which are the Landless households? Which are the
of 2007), and
small/marginal farmer households?
After exhausting the eligible beneficiaries under
Which are the wage labour dependent households?
the above categories, on the lands of small or
marginal farmers.
Which families migrate regularly?
Which are the female Headed Households and
other vulnerable groups like PwDs, old age, landless,
Which are the assets that have been previously created under MNREGA?
How to facilitate1:
Introduce yourself and the purpose of/ or focus of the map to all participants.
Ask the participants to draw a map of the village, showing all households. Different types of
Houses can be marked in different colours (e.g. Pucca Building, Pucca-IAY, Semi Pucca,
Kutcha). For location and orientation it is good to draw roads and significant spots of the
village into the map. Different types of road (e.g. Cement Concrete, Kutcha, Black topped)
should be marked in different colours. Sometimes the local community members may take
time to draw a map or make errors while drawing. Even in such cases the facilitation team
should not take it upon itself to draw the map themselves.
Ensure that each household has a number, and name other details (demography,
vulnerability etc.) are documented by the documenter during the exercise.
Ask the group to indicate important institutions and amenities such as Schools, AWC, places
of worship and other significant landmarks.
Encourage the group to discuss and show on the map specific areas that are inhabited by
specific communities.
Symbols & Colours can be used to mark location of vulnerable households / individuals.
Source: adapted from FAO’s PRA tool box, “Conducting a PRA Training and Modifying PRA Tools to
Your Needs.”
1
Page | 17
7. Make sure that your copy of the map has a key (legend) explaining the meaning of different
colours and symbols used in the map.
8. During the entire process, take care that once somebody has given a statement, you ask the
others whether they agree, disagree or want to add something.
9. Make sure that the objective of having all households shown on the map will be achieved.
10. Once the map is drawn on the ground (preferably), one of the facilitators should copy it on
to a chart paper for display and further use. Subsequently it can be copied fairly on to an A4
Sheet or A3 Sheet as available and suitable for inclusion in the village output file.
11. The map must contain the name of the village, direction, legend, name of the key
participants and name of the facilitators.
12. At the end of the exercise the facilitators should extend thanks to the participants for their
time and participation.
Team Composition: There must be one facilitator, one observer and one documenter and
one person for copying. In any case each sub team facilitating social map should not have
less than 3 members.
Material needed as per need:
 Drawing on soft ground: Coloured powders, sticks and other local material
 Drawing on cemented / hard floor: Coloured Chalks, and other local material
 Drawing on Chart Paper: Large Sized Chart Paper, Pencils, Permanent Markers, Sketch
Pens, Bindis, and other material as appropriate
Time: 1.5-2 hours
B. Seasonality mapping
Life and Livelihoods in villages of India vary from season to season. There are seasons when
there is a lot of agricultural work and wage employment availability. There are seasons
when seasonal produce are available from forests or other common property resources.
These are times when the need for MGNREGS work is less. There are lean seasons when
neither agricultural nor common property based livelihoods are available. These are times
when MGNREGS employment can be of much more significance. But even the traditional
agricultural season also has gaps and it’d be wrong to assume, for instance, that the entire
monsoon period is of adequate local employment availability. In many parts of India the
period from early September to the middle of October is a period of hunger.
Just as availability of employment and livelihood varies from season to season, the potential
for MGNREGS work too varies. Thus even if there is a lot of demand for work in the month
of September, it’d be difficult in large parts of India to do any excavation work. Similarly
even if lots of people wanted to do plantation work in the month of May, it’d simply not be
the season for it.
Seasonality Analysis of Wage Employment and other Livelihoods as well as of possibilities of
undertaking MGNREGS Works is thus critical to match demand for employment to supply of
MGNREGS Works.
Page | 18
The discussion on Seasonality can be facilitated through creating a calendar depicting
months and seasons. It is of course important to use the names of seasons and months as
locally used by people. These can subsequently be roughly approximated to the English
Calendar for Planning MGNREGS Works.
Seasonality
of
How to make a seasonality map
livelihoods
and
employment could vary 
Introduce the purpose of the seasonality map (5
between
different
minutes)
communities
and 
Ask the participants how local people divide the
year.
between women and
Don’t impose western calendar if this does not reflect
men.
For
instance 
indigenous seasonal categories.
among
forest

Take the variables such as agriculture, wage
neighbouring
employment, migration, MGNREGA work, forest
communities,
ST
resources etc. in the left side
households
and

Focus attention on one particular variable and
especially
women,
encourage people to plot this on the calendar using
might be having greater
drawing symbols or objects. Eg; Labor demand,
dependence on Non
questions like: determine the 4 least busy months,
Timber Forest Produce
lean period, the busiest month, etc.
and thus NTFP Season, 
If the calendar is prepared on the floor, there is plenty
e.gMahua
Flower
of space for symbols and resources.
Collection
or
TenduPatta Collection, Material needed: Whatever comes to hand, paper and
may be of lower pen to make final recreation of the map
MGNREGS employment
demand from them. Dos and don’ts:
 Let the community construct the calendar rather
Thus while discussing
than directing the process.
seasonality, care has to
 Encourage them to add more questions using
be taken that the
trigger questions.
opinions of different

It is possible to discuss the calendar afterwards and
communities
and
develop more information that meets your own
women are included.
agenda.
Alternatively, especially
if there is time available, separate seasonality discussions can be had with such groups.
Eventually, this information would ascertain the availability of seasonal labour and will help
in the planning of work. The following are examples of what Seasonality Chart could look
like.
Example of a seasonal calendar for Livelihood
Occupation/
Month
Chaitr
Baisakh
Jesth
Asarhl
Agriculture
WageEmployment
Migration
MGNREGA
Works
Forest
Resources
Page | 19
Sharavan
Bhado
Ashwin
Kartik
Agan
Poush
Magh
Phagun
Example of a seasonal calendar for MGNREGS Work Opportunities
MGNREGS
Work/
Month
Chaitr
Baisakh
Jesth
Asarhl
Sharavan
Bhado
Ashwin
Kartik
Agan
Poush
Magh
Phagun
Potential
Month
Water
Land
Conservation
& Developm
Water Harvesting
ent
Rural
Connectivity
Not
Potential
Month
Rural
Sanitation
Plantation
Other Month
(Fifty Fifty)
C. Door to door survey at the habitation level
Estimation of demand through door-to-door survey will be conducted for the categories of
families listed in the box below. Maximum effort shall be taken to do this process
comprehensively without any household being left out. The household survey will be based
on the list of households provided from the MIS after including left out households as
identified during the Social Mapping Process.BPT will receive the list of households from the
Block. This will be ensured by the Charge Officer. These are the lists that the BPT needs:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
List of all Job Card Holders
List of all Census Households
List of all BPL Households
List of all Antyodaya Households
List of recipients Old Age, Widow and Disability Pension
Page | 20
6. List of all IAY Beneficiaries (at least the last ten years)
7. List of FRA Beneficiaries
These lists will form the base of the household survey to be undertaken by the BPT
members. However the BPT is not primarily a survey team but a team facilitating the
participatory planning exercise. Thus its first interaction with the village should not be as a
survey team. They’ll initiate the survey of households only after they have carried out the
Social Mapping Process and identified vulnerable households from the Social Mapping
process.
Thus after the Social Mapping Process BPT Sub Team shall ensure that it is able to physically
meet the following households:
1. Job Card Holders falling under Category 5 Households List
2. Households identified as Category 5 Households but not having Job Cards
3. Households identified as vulnerable by the villagers whether or not having job cards
or falling under Category 5 households list
As part of the door to door survey, the facilitator will collect information the existing
livelihood and the nature of works households intend to do in order to complement their
livelihood. The survey will also collect information on land holding, job card number, profile
of the registered members especially that of special categories like women, persons with
disability, the elderly etc.
It is important to capture the nature of work vulnerable groups would like to be engaged in
and thereby get an idea about their priorities of works that should be taken up. The details
of permissible activities as per category A to D in the revised schedule 1 (detailed in the next
chapter) which can be done on private land and common works that will benefit the
vulnerable community shall also be ascertained through door to door survey.
For the door to door survey format and summary report please see annexure
D.
Resource mapping
Social Mapping provides information regarding the human resource of the village and the
nature of this resource. The demand for employment from this human resource sets the
financial boundary of MGNREGS work in the village. The more the persondays available, the
more the work that can be done. However, the work that can be done is also dependent on
the physical resources available to the village. Resource Mapping is undertaken to map out
the nature and extent of this
resource. Like Social Mapping
that helps us understand the
people of a village, Resource
mapping helps us to understand
the physical resources at the
command of the village.
The map would show land and
water bodies based on their use
Page | 21
as well as geographical features. Thus under land it would show agricultural land, orchards,
forest,grazing land and other local land categories. Similarly water bodies would also be
categorisedas ponds, streams, canals, open wells, bore wells etc. The map should also show
physical formations such as ridge lines and drainage pattern and categorise land as upland,
low land etc.
These maps will be created for a habitation/ward/village.The resource map can be of two
levels. One could be a general resource map portraying the different resources to which the
residents of the village/hamlet/ward have varying degrees of access and control. Thus there
could be resources that come under open access to common property, to private. At a
greater level of detailing, there could be resource maps depicting private land used for some
form of primary production (agriculture/horticulture/pasture/pisciculture, etc.) as well as
resource maps depicting common property resources such as forests, grazing land. The
discussion around these resource maps can be about potential for improving productivity of
these lands or reducing vulnerability of these lands through use of MGNREGS. The ongoing
and other incomplete works also need to be identified and shown on the relevant maps.
Such works should also be categorised between those whose completion is of value to the
community and those which it is best to abandon.
There can be following types of resource maps (based on different types of maps) that can be
used for identification of patch and type of treatment required:
1. Cadastral map:revenue village map that you get it from a patwari. This is a resource
map of the panchayat that has been drawn over the cadastral map of the village.
b) Toposheet:a depiction of contours in a water shed area. Contour line is a line joining
point of the same elevation. Toposheets are generally used to draw watershed area from
map.
Page | 22
c) Sketch map:drawn by community based upon their own wisdom
Steps involved in resource mapping
Preparatory Activities
Page | 23
1. Collect the Revenue Maps of the target villages. You can get it from the Charge Officer
who can either give it to you or guide you as regards where to get it. Photocopies of the
different sheets can be joined to prepare a village map.
2. Carry Material required for drawing Resource Map on the earth / floor or Chart Papers
3. Identify 2-3 persons from the village/hamlet who have knowledge and understanding
about revenue map and land.
Preparing the Map in the Village
1. Convene a meeting at a central point in the habitation and share the purpose of this
mapping exercise in the meeting.
2. The following are the major steps:
a. Step 1 – lay out village boundary
b. Step 2 – mark out directions
c. Step 3 – draw major rivers, existing NRM assets
d. Step 4 – refine by drawing out patches of land (either by
patta/community/soil/crop)with the help of the community.
3. Start the mapping with rangoli on the floor. Indicate different land patches - its soil,
different crops cultivated by villagers; water streams etc. While resource mapping
being done on floor by villagers, simultaneously try to draw the same on A2 size
chart paper as permanent reference.
4. Villagers generally identify patches of land by local name by the deity they worship,
name of big land owner in that plot, name of local nallaha passing by etc. Ask people
to divide the entire village revenue land into such commonly termed patch names.
Entire village boundary may be divided into prominent 10-12 plots. Generally
villagers divide these patches by their common characteristics like type of soil/slope,
crops being cultivated their etc.
5. Also try to overlap the type of patches with the lands being cultivated by poor
people in the village Take chart papers and make 10-12 pieces as per the no of
patches identified by the villagers. Write down the names of patches on these piece
of chart papers.
6. With the villagers sitting over there, do PRA exercises by which assembly have to
classify the patches in three types; better-off, medium and inferior patches.
Generally better-off patches would have irrigated double/triple cropped land. Mostly
it is owned by better-off people from the villages. Medium patches would have landholding from medium class people. There are patches which are not degraded and
have potential to make them better yielding with bit of investment on land and
water treatment and availability of irrigation resource. And inferior patches would
Page | 24
generally be owned by poor people. It needs lot of investment to make these
patches yielding.
7. Members of the community should mark out other common resources of the village
like ponds, wells, jungle, a place of worship etc. this mapping brings important
resource represented on a single page helping all including facilitators – who are
generally external to village realities – take an informed choice of interventions.
8. Delineate the drainage line and slope on the village map with help of the selected
villagers. Ask the community how they categorise their different kinds of lands and
then accordingly denote different types of lands in different colors e.g. green colour
for low land. An index for the different colors used is provided on the lower right
hand corner of the map itself.
9. Identify the local patches in the map. Circle these clusters of plots with a colour pen.
Simultaneously, note down the patch name and numbers on a piece of paper.
a. Where maps are not available, google map can be printed out on A2 paper
and overlay it with graph/tracing paper.
10. Discuss how MGNREGA funds should be prioritised to improve productivity of the
lands of small and marginal farmers and create common assets for the village.
11. If people prioritise investment on inferior of medium type of land then planning on
such plots can be done. Exhaustive list of patta no and corresponding owners to be
prepared in those selected 1 or 2 patches and you can suggest possible treatment in
those lands.
E.
Transect Walk
What is a transect walk?
Resource Mapping and Social Mapping give us an idea of the layout of the habitation and
the resources available to it. Transect Walk gives us an actual feel of the habitation as well
as the resources. For instance a transect walk in the habitation area would give an idea of
housing conditions, sanitation and nature of amenities available in the village. Similarly a
transect across agricultural fields can provide an idea about land use, drainage, soil quality
and so on. It is better to do transect walks after basic resource map / social map are
prepared. That way it helps in triangulation. It also helps in moving forward from problem
identification to natural resources management and planning as well as planning for public
and household amenities.
Materials and time required
Page | 25
Two to three hours. Large sheets of paper, markers, notebooks/paper and pens are needed
to make a copy of the diagram and also for the note-taker to record the discussion
generated during the diagram development. If the diagram is drawn on the ground, then a
large area will be needed, as well as a range of objects such as sticks, stone, leaves, seeds,
and so on that the analysts can use to represent features on the diagram. The group will
include a facilitator, observer/note-taker, and selected informants from the village.
How is the transect walk to be conducted?

Explain the purpose of the transect to
There are different types of transect
community members, define the list of
paths. The most common one will have
the walk. Involve them in the decisionmaking process regarding the transect
you walk from a high point to a low
point. Another one will be a straight line
from one extreme point of the area to
the other. To get a more detailed view
path you should take.
of the area, one can also choose to
Identify a group of local people having
undertake an S-shaped transect walk.
some knowledge of the area and who
Facilitators can use available social or
are willing to walk with you for the
resource maps to select the transect
exercise.
Make
representatives
from
sure
that
vulnerable
groups are included in the exercise.

appropriate?
the people. In consultation with the
indicators that will be analysed during

What kinds of transect route is most
path. Other regular maps of the village
can also be used if necessary. While
marking out the path for the transect,
the guiding principle should be to
Let the people show you their village
capture maximum diversity and details
by following the transect path that was
within
agreed upon. Explain that the route
physical access.
the
limitations
of
time
and
does not have to be straight, but can
meander if necessary. Also carry the list of parameters and preferably the resource map
for the walk. It is a useful reference during observation and discussions en route.

Observe the surroundings. Encourage people to explain things as you move. Take
detailed notes.

If necessary, stop at certain locations for detailed discussions on emerging issues. Use
this opportunity to clarify issues emerging from the social map, resource map and other
methods.

After returning, draw the transect on a large sheet of paper. Let the local people take
the lead in drawing the transect diagram. Use your notes and the notes of other
members of the transect team while making the diagram.

Show the transect to others in the locality and ask them to give their opinion.
Page | 26
Page | 27
Chapter 5
Identification of works and prioritization of people’s needs
What can be planned to be undertaken through MGNREGS depends on the permissible list
of works under MGNREGS and the resources available for MGNREGS work. The list of
permissible works is provided in the next chapter. This list must be shared with the people
before planning of works can begin. Similarly the principles of Watershed Approach must
also be shared and discussed before Planning process is initiated.
What are the resources available for MGNREGS work?
1. Workers wanting employment under MGNREGS form the human resource for
MGNREGS work. This is called Labour Demand.
2. Based on the quantum of labour demand, the Gram Panchayat can access material
resources. For instance a GP with a labour demand equal to 60 lakh rupees can also
obtain material up to 40 lakh rupees.
If there is demand for work a labourmaterial budget estimate can be
prepared. But can this budget be
used? That depends on whether the
Gram Panchayats is able to prepare
adequate plans to use the labour and
material resources.
While the previous chapter dealt with
use of five key tools (Social Mapping,
Household
Survey,
Seasonality
Analysis, Resource Mapping and
Transect Walk) to understand the
community and its resources, this
chapter will focus on using these tools
for
identification
of
works,
preparation,
presentation
and
prioritisation of plans.
For understanding the planning
process we can divide the works
under MGNREGS in to various
categories. Some works are private
works while some works are
community works. While some works
enhance livelihood, some improve
living conditions. These can be seen in
the form of the following matrix.
Categories
of
MGNREGS
Addressing Addressing
Livelihoods Living
Conditions
The Watershed Approach
At the heart of the IPPE is the creation of a
good quality NRM based plan, which would
address the needs of the inhabitants in
sustainable way. The concept of the
watershed and the principles of the
watershed approach are critical to
planning. While these are definitely critical
to planning of livelihood enhancement
works, they are also useful in planning works
such as construction of drains in the
habitation.
The BPT should spend adequate time in the
village discussing aspects of watershed
development and how it applies to the
development of livelihoods in their village.
This can be done separately as a discussion
followed by inputs from BPT members or
other local official or/and civil society
experts on watershed. The following chapter
provides some basic ideas about the
‘principles of development and
understanding watershed’.
Page | 28
Works
Individual
(Private)
e.g. Goat e.g.
Shed
Household
Latrine
Community e.g. Check e.g. Drain
(Public)
Dam
A Household Latrine is an activity that directly enhances the living condition of a household.
A drainage system for the habitation enhances the living condition of the community. AGoat
Shed enhances the livelihood of a household. A check-dam enhances the livelihood of the
community. But it’s important to understand that there are overlaps. For instance, aprivate
farm pond could be used for bathing by the community thus contributing to the community
and enhancing living conditions. This is something that we need to remember when
preparing the list of outcomes for any activity proposed under MGNREGS.
Key activities
A. Problem analysis
The analysis of the social map, seasonal map, resource map, transect walks, and summary of
household surveys can be used to draw up a problem analysis framework for the
community. This will be done through focused group discussions with different groups; all
women groups, members of specific vulnerable groups. This analysis should focus on
resolving three types of problems
i. Livelihoods related
ii. Environment related
iii. Infrastructure related
There should be an identification of potential contribution that MGNREGS could make
towards addressing the identified problems. Interventions to address the identified
problems may also be of different types.



MGNREGS can contribute directly to the resolution of the problem
MGNREGS can contribute indirectly to the resolution of the problem
MGNREGS does not have significant impact on the resolution or continuance of the
problem
In order to bring together the households for a discussion on problems and solutions
concerning their major sources of livelihoods and their prioritisation, following steps can be
followed.
Page | 29
B. Identification of works
Based on the different tools used for understanding the community and the problem
analysis, the community can set out to identify MGNREGS works that can address problems
and enhance livelihoods and living conditions. The identification of works is an iterative
process. What does this (iterative process) mean? Let’s look at an example of how
identification of works could proceed.
The Social Map has already identified vulnerable households and amenities available in the
habitation. The work identification could therefore:
1. Identify individual works in the homestead of vulnerable households (e.g. a Goat
Shed, a Compost Pit, or a Household Latrine)
2. Identify works related to Community Infrastructure. (e.g. drainage line, soak pits,
school toilets)
The Resource Map would have identified the natural resources available for MGNREGS
activities. The work identification could therefore:
1. Identify Individual Land Development (e.g. a farm pond, dug well, farm bunding etc.)
2. Identify Common Land / Forest Development (e.g. road side plantation, pasture
development, gully plugging etc.)
3. Identify Community Water Harvesting Structures (e.g. a check dam, a community
tank, field channels)
Of course neither the categories nor the examples given here are to be treated as
exhaustive. The BPT can facilitate the discussion in the village to come up with a list of works
based on needs and resources.
At this points, the BPT along with members of the community would have ascertained who
needs work and when they need work as well as existing resources and a three-pronged
problem analysis. It now becomes possible to match actual work to people’s needs,
priorities and resources available.
The information available through the maps, door to door survey etc. can now be used to
prepare an MNREGA plan that aims to improve livelihoods, reduce vulnerability and raise
living standards at the community as well as household level.
At the end of listing out works, few questions emerge as to whether and how the plan can
be implemented. Are adequate resources available for the list of works?
1. If it exceeds labour and material resource available for the next year (based on
aggregate labour demand), then the works should be prioritised under yearly
categories. That is what gets done in the next year and what in the following years.
This leads to the creation of an annual plan.
2. If the list of works is inadequate to absorb the labour demand, then further
discussion can be had to add to the list.
3. A list of works could require more labour than the labour demand of all the
households but still fail to provide employment to vulnerable groups. In such a case
Page | 30
further discussion is needed to identify and add to list, works that can employ the
vulnerable groups.
Are the locations at which work is planned available for initiating the work?
1. Does the household identified for individual works have adequate land for
undertaking the work?
2. Are public lands identified for community works free of encroachment?
3. Are owners of private lands identified for community works (e.g. passage of roads /
drains / field channels) agreeable to such works?
The prioritised list of works should, therefore satisfy the following conditions:
1. Every person wanting work can be provided employment up to their demand or
entitlement (whichever is lower)
2. Labour Material Ratio for any given year cannot be less than 60:40.
3. Sites on which such works are to be carried out must be readily available and free of
encroachments.
Questions to be kept in mind when prioritising work: criteria for a good plan
a. Are the proposed works permitted under MNREGA? What is the potential for
convergence?
b. Have incomplete works been prioritised?
c. Is the Plan adequate to meet the estimated demand for employment? In
case it is inadequate, there’ll be a need to discuss:
i. Additional possibilities of work in or near the village/hamlet/ward
ii. Amount of employment which the Panchayat / Block has to be
requested to plan and provide
d. In case it is more than what can be done through use of available persons
i. Prioritisation of the works over and beyond the coming year.
ii. Potential for providing employment to households from outside the
village/hamlet/ward
e. Rough estimation of labour and material resources required for specific works
to ensure the plan adheres to laid down norms
i. Resources required for completing incomplete works whose completion is
desirable
ii. Resources required for new works identified in the planning process.
f. Is the proposed plan based on NRM principles? Have the following aspects
been accounted for?
i. Quantity of land and other physical resources
ii. Gradient and Catchment Area
iii. Quantity and Seasonality of Rainfall
iv. Groundwater Availability
The BPT members will facilitate a discussion to come up with a first list of different
community and individual works that people want to take up under MGNREGA. This list will
need to be discussed for prioritising different components of the plan.
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Format for ward-wise consolidation of identified and prioritised works to be presented in
Gram Sabha
Gram Panchayat Name:
Date of ward/hamlet sabha:
Village name:
Total no of members present:
Community works
Priorit Nature of work
y No
Ward no:
Male:
Female:
Details
(place,sizeetc)
Expected
outcomes/be
nefits
Expected
No
of
persondays to vulnerable
be generated HH
to
benefit
Details(place,sizee
tc)
Expected
outcomes/be
nefits
Expected
Vulnerable
persondays to group
be generated category
Individual beneficiary work
Priorit
y No
Nature of work
Sjgnature of PRI member (ward/GP)
Panchayat Sewak
GRS
Observer
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Day-wise activities for BPT in a ward/hamlet/village
Day 1:
1st half: First village meeting where an overview of MNREGA and the concept of INRM
based (Watershed + livelihoods) planning under MNREGA is discussed.
2nd half: The BPT along with villagers would split into two sub groups
one sub group would work on social mapping, seasonality mapping along with door to door
survey of vulnerable families.
The second sub-group will work on developing the resource map, conducting the transect
walk and identify the most problematic patches where most of the vulnerable families own
the land.
Day 2:
1st and 2nd half: One sub group would do conduct focused group discussions with concerned
families in those selected patches to identify the land and water based and agricultural
problems and to identify the solutions. They would try to identify specific patches which
need immediate treatment, and focus on those patches.
Sub group two along with the people of the village will identify the overall problems in the
village including specific issues of women, the landless and arrive at solutions.
Day 3:
1st half: consolidation of plan
2nd half- .Presentation of all the plans in front of the entire village and facilitate prioritisation
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Chapter 6
Principles of planning and understanding watershed
Intensive Discussions on potential development of the Community through the use of
MGNREGS should preferably be initiated after the understanding phase is over. Of course
the discussions around understanding the community would also have brought up certain
ideas for using MGNREGS for development of the Community.
The basic objective of this chapter is to understand how MGNREGS can contribute towards
the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
rain water harvesting,
capturing sub-surface runoff,
increasing in-situ moisture,
checking soil erosion,
increasing agricultural productivity, and
diversifying livelihood portfolio
It is important for the Team to take a call on whether the discussions around planning
should be held on the same day or the next day. While a continuous process may keep up
the momentum, it can also demand too much time from the community. Taking a one-day
break may also enable the team to have its own discussion before proceeding to the
planning phase. It could get time to compile the formats filled for various households. It
could also discuss the potential inputs (especially technical) that it could provide to the
community during the planning related discussions and processes.
This chapter has two sections; list of permissible works under MNREGA, and method to
identify the best type of work for different situations.
Before discussing the possible treatment of the area or types of assets to be created, it is
important to discuss the existing cropping practices of the area, issues faced by farmers in
agriculture and the rainfall pattern during a year. Many agricultural practices like
Section 1: Permissible Works in MGNREGA
1.1 Types of Works as per Schedule 1 of MGNREGA
Category A: Public works related to Natural resources management
(i)
Water conservation and water harvesting structures to augment and improve
groundwater like underground dykes, earthen dams, stop dams, check dams with
special focus on recharging ground water including for drinking water sources;
(ii)
Watershed management works such as contour trenches, terracing, contour
bunds, boulder checks, gabion structures and spring shed development resulting
in a comprehensive treatment of a watershed;
(iii)
Micro and minor irrigation works and creation, renovation and maintenance of
irrigation canals and drains ;
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(iv)
Renovation of traditional water bodies including desilting of irrigation tanks and
other water bodies;
(v)
Afforestation, tree plantation and horticulture in common and forest lands, road
margins, canal bunds, tank foreshores and coastal belts duly providing right to
usufruct to the households covered in Paragraph 5.
(vi)
Land development works in common land.
Category B: Community assets or Individual assets for vulnerable sections (only for
households in Paragraph 5)
(vii)
Improving productivity of lands of households specified in Paragraph 5 through
land development and by providing suitable infrastructure for irrigation including
dug wells, farm ponds and other water harvesting structures.
(viii)
Improving livelihoods through horticulture, sericulture, plantation, and farm
forestry.
(ix)
Development of fallow/waste lands of households defined in Paragraph 5 to
bring it under cultivation;
(x)
Unskilled wage component in construction of houses sanctioned underthe Indira
Awaas Yojana or such other State or Central Government scheme.
(xi)
Creating infrastructure for promotion of livestock such as, poultry shelter, goat
shelter, piggery shelter, cattle shelter and fodder troughs for cattle;
(xii)
Creating infrastructure for promotion of fisheries such as, fish drying yards,
storage facilities, and promotion of fisheries in seasonal water bodies on public
land;
Category C: Common infrastructure including for NRLM compliant self-help-groups
(xiii)
Works for promoting agricultural productivity by creating durable infrastructure
required for bio-fertilizers and post-harvest facilities including pucca storage
facilities for agricultural produce;
(xiv)
Common work-sheds for livelihood activities of self-help-groups.
Category D: Rural infrastructure
(xv)
Rural sanitation related works, such as, individual household latrines, school
toilet units, Anganwadi toilets either independently or in convergence with
schemes of other government departmentsto achieve ‘open defecation free’
status. and solid and liquid waste management as per prescribed norms
(xvi)
Providing all-weather rural road connectivity to unconnected villages and to
connect identified rural production centres to the existing pucca road network;
and construction of puccainternal roads/streets including side drains and
culverts within a village;
(xvii)
Construction of play fields;
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(xviii) Works for improving disaster preparedness or restoration of roads or
restoration of other essential public infrastructure including flood control and
protection works, providing drainage in water logged areas, deepening and
repairing of flood channels, chaur renovation, construction of storm water drains
for coastal protection;
(xix)
Construction of buildings for Gram Panchayats, women self-help groups’
federations, cyclone shelters, Anganwadi centres and crematoria at the village or
block level.
(xx)
Construction of Food Grain Storage Structures for implementing the provisions
of The National Food Security Act 2013;
(xxi)
Manufacturing of building material required for construction works under the
Act.
(xxii)
Maintenance of rural public assets created under the Act.
(xxiii) Any other work which may be notified by the Central Government in
consultation with the State Government.
Note: Works which are non-tangible, not measurable, repetitive - such as removing grass,
pebbles, agricultural operations, shall not be taken up.
Section 2: Identifying Works for a Region
Next, it is important to be able to identify the best type of work for the given situation. To
do this the following steps are important:




Understand what a ‘watershed’ is and why it is important to visualise a region as a
watershed.
Based on this, identify the best types of permissible works to be undertaken
within this region.
At each stage, it will be indicated if works are better suited for individual or
community works.
While selecting works, it is important to keep in mind larger objectives (such as
increasing agricultural productivity) and specific outcomes (such as going from
single to multi cropping).
Before moving forward, let us understand basic concepts of watershed
2.1 Understanding Watershed
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Figure 1This diagram depicts a typical watershed and the types of structures that may be
constructed to best channel the natural resources.
Below is a glossary of technical terms that you should familiarise yourself with:
Watershed
Ridge and
Ridge Area
Drainage
Lines
Contour
Lines
The area from where a river “catches” its water is called its catchment or watershed.
A watershed can be visualized as a landscape shaped unevenly like a bowl or basin.
When it rains, water flows down from the top of this bowl to collect at the bottom.
The undulating land area of any region forms several such units, each of which are
called sub-watersheds. Water within each of these units drains to a common point.
So the hills, valleys, forests and fields that encircle the falling rain and guide it into
streams and then rivers, all form the enclosure or bowl that is a watershed.
The top of a watershed from where the slopes start is called the ridge, because it is
the dividing line that partitions one watershed from another. Ridges demarcate the
region into distinct areas that ‘catch the rain’ for a stream or river. In a watershed,
the slopes falling from the ridge to the beginning of the plains are called the ridge
area.
The many channels that flowing rainwater drains into are called drainage lines.
Gullies, streams and rivers are all drainage lines. The water flowing through a
number of gullies joins up to make a naali, (a small stream), many naalis combine to
make a naala, (a larger stream), naalas flow into a nadi (a river) and so on. The
smallest stream is called the first order stream. Two 1st order streams join to make
a 2nd order stream. Similarly, two 2nd order streams join to make a 3rd order
stream and so on. Different watershed interventions take place in different sized
drainage lines.
A contour is an imaginary line that joins points of the same height. It is a line so flat
and level, even water could rest on it. Just like some water spilt on the flat surface of
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a table top would remain on it and not dribble down.
Horizontal
Interval
Vertical
Interval
Slope
When we try to mark points at the same height on actual landscape, like on the side
of a hill, these lines follow the curves of the land and look wavy. But they are not.
They are at the same level so much so that if one dug a channel along the contour
line, a ball would stop on it and not roll off. Contour lines are important because we
need water conservation structures that do not allow water to flow off.
The horizontal interval is the distance straight across as the crow flies, so to speak.
For instance, from one tree to another, from the top of one hill to another, from the
road to the house and so on.
The vertical Interval is straight up. For instance, from the bottom of a well to the top
or from the floor to the roof, and so on.
Horizontal and vertical Interval is not so simple when we look at a hill. There is a
slanting distance from the bottom of the hill to the top. This is called a slope. As we
walk up a hill a few steps at a time we are gaining height. The point where we
started from appears further and further below. For every few steps forward that
we take we also take a few steps up. So we are traveling both horizontally and
vertically at the same time. Just like stairs.
The slope of the land is the ratio of the vertical interval to the horizontal interval.
Slope can be measured in two ways, as a percentage or in degrees. For example, if
we have walked a distance of 3 meters horizontally while gaining a height of 1 meter
then we can say it in 2 ways -
Bed Slope
Soil Texture
2. The slope that I climbed was in a ratio of 1:3
3. Slope = Vertical Interval ÷ Horizontal Interval X 100 = 33%
The slope of the bed of the drainage line (naali, naala, nadi).
What soil feels like is the ‘texture’ of soil. This is a result of the mixture of different
sized particles. Different soils have different combinations of these particles. We can
roughly make this out even by feeling the soil with our fingers. Thus, soils with more
sand are coarser and those with more clay feel finer. Particles above 2mmin diameter
are strictly speaking not regarded as part of soil. These are classified as stones and
gravel.
Soil Structure The way in which the different particles group or stick together in soils, forming a
network of pores and channels is known as soil structure. There are three main types
of soil structure:
Granular– when it is like gravel, separate lumps with no bonding between them
Fragmented– when it is crumbly, small lumps loosely bonded by clay
Continuous– when it is like dough, all the particles are held by a mass of clay
First visualise a watershed, identify works according to this, link it into a larger
objective
and thenimportant?
indicate the expected outcomes.
2.2
Why is a watershed
Now that you’ve understood, what a watershed is, we can move on to why this is important. Any
structure that is to be built has to fit in to the natural settings of the region. An intervention is
Page | 38
useful only if the region has been understood and its slopes, ridge, drainage and farm areas
identified. There will be no use in planning a work to prevent erosion in a region that is dry. The
works thus taken up will finally have many end objectives such as increasing the livelihood
income streams of families through conserving soil and water, improving agricultural
productivity, , afforestation etc. Then, for each kind of work, ‘expected outcomes’ are to be
recorded. This will put in quantifiable terms the benefit expected from the asset. For example,
with a farm pond, there will be water available for irrigation and ground water will be recharged.
2.2 Selecting Works
The primary objective of the planning exercise is to plan for assets that will enhance both farmbased and non-farm-based livelihood of the community and also help in enhancement of natural
resources.
Livelihood works apply primarily to the unit of a household or individual and to some extent
to common resources. Livelihoods’ includes all activities by which a family earns income for
its basic needs of food, clothes, fuel, health and nutrition and health, education and skills
and so on. Activities such as agriculture, fishing, rearing animals, collecting daily necessities
like water, fodder, food items as well as goods like timber and medicinal plants from
surrounding wasteland and forest, agriculturalas well as non-agricultural wage work in
trades and professions could all be counted under livelihoods.
The basic principles of livelihood planning are as follows; there is dependence on more than
one resource and activity to earn a livelihood. Thus rural families undertake a combination
of activities to ensure livelihood security. A poor household will raise food security
enhancing crops on a small piece of land, rear goats, and migrate to cities as unskilled
labour. A landless family may work as farm labour and construction labour, and may also
make bidis or agarbattis. Another family may lease in land for agriculture and seasonally
migrate to neighbouring regions / states to work as farm labour or to work on brick kilns and
so on. So it is important to explore the current livelihood portfolio of the community in the
planning process.
By now, the team will have prepared the social and resource maps before generating options for
possible works. As discussed in chapter 5, the team will identify one (or a few) patches from the
resource map based on the priority of the community (poorest first), level of degradation of the
patch, and the number of families covered in the patch. It should be tried to cover as many
families as possible.
The team can begin the transect patch wise from the ridge-line of the patch. One thumbrule is that the ridge-line coincides with the roads around the outside boundary of the
patch, most of the times. Villagers easily find out ridges in field. The following process can
be used during the transect:

Visit the patch of land with all the owners (and spouses) to identify/verify the existing
problems in each patch. Also discuss the implications of the existing problems, talk to the
owner of land in that patch about implications, also discuss what are her/his plan if the
problem of the patch is removed. Check with other farmers about feasibility of the plan.
Page | 39



Note the typical features of each patch like type of soil, depth of soil, water holding
capacity, slope, erosion, present land-use, vegetation, irrigation, crop productivity, etc.
Use a table to record the information for each patch. It is also wise to record the trends,
this indicates changes occurring in land use and relationship with the problems of the
patch.
Also the constraining factors at the family level related to the workforce (available person
days across months), draft animals, remoteness, cash flow, etc needs to be noted.
After identifying its problems and understanding its present land use, help the ownerfamilies to brain storm about possible alternatives to deal with the problems in a better
way. (Refer to the table below for information on the type of options available for each
patch of land).
Possible discussion during transect walk:






The team should start the discussion around purpose of the transect, potential with
prevailing rainfall condition, how much rain can be harvested and how much it can
irrigate, present crop pattern, agricultural issues etc with the community.
Agricultural issues and mono-cropping can be linked with the need for and potential of
water harvesting and patch treatment.
The team should ask the owners of the particular patch that what kind of treatment will
ensure benefit to most of the farmers in that patch what cropping change can occur if
water harvesting can be ensured.. The team should explore how the water flows during
rains across the patch, and try to trace the path of the water flow, with the help of the
community. The team should then ask the community members about the primary issues
related to the flow of water. The community might talk about issues like soil erosion,
rapid runoff, water logging, sand deposition, flash floods, lack of harvesting structures
etc.
The existing discourse in MGNREGS is to create large structures like large water
harvesting tank of various sizes (e.g. 150ft X 150ft X 10ft etc), check dams etc. So the
community members might demand for those schemes at the beginning. The team needs
to explain the need to capture the rain water so that farmers can move from monocropping to double-cropping.
The team should then talk about best-possible treatment based on the merit of land e.g.
porous uplands are good for recharging the ground water, checking runoff through
bunding levelling, WHTs, and low lands for holding water in seepage pits, WHTs topology.
Ideally, it would include a mix of vegetative and structural measures on private and public
land.
Some structural measures like 5% model, 30X40 model, bunding & Levelling are done for
area treatment in medium-upland & Uplands, and are best done for a whole patch and
not as individual structure. So the planning team will have to discuss with the land owners
about the need for creating small water harvesting tanks in series in the whole patch. The
challenge is to convince as many farmers as possible, for such structural measures and
this may require involving farmers from other villages owning land in that particular
patch. The land ownership data become very useful here.
Page | 40
The following is a rule of thumb classification for selecting the type of structure for the particular
watershed area.
Watershed Purpose of
Area
Interventions
Ridge
This is the area that
the water source
originates from.
Usually on steeper
slopes, erosion is
high in this area
and the water runs
off quickly. If the
water flows too
quickly, streams
downstream will
get silted. To avoid
this, certain
structures may be
built which slow
down the flow of
water. Erosion can
also be checked by
planting grasses,
shrubs, trees and
permanent forest
cover.
Drainage  This is the area 
between the ridge
and farm, that is,
where the water
flows down to the 
farm. There will a
gentler slope. This
area too will have
erosion and
siltation. Structures
built here will also
be intended to
check erosion and
avoid siltation of
water bodies
downstream. To do
this, drainage
channels are
deepened and
embankments are
Classification
Structure
On slopes greater
than 25%,
a) Contour Trenching. Protection
and plantation of grasses, shrubs
and trees native to the area
b) Where boulders are available,
contour bunding with boulders.
It is might be good idea to go for
permanent vegetation through
planting local species and
perennial grasses.
Contour staggered Trenching
On slopes between
10-25%
On slopes less than
10%
local bed slopes>
20%
local bed slopes <
5%
stream
embankments
severely eroded
Earthen Contour Bunding. 30X40
model is better than contour
bunding because it is very
difficult to follow a contour while
constructing earthen bund, and
mistake in following bund can
result is breaking of bund.
Brushwood checks
Gabion structures where velocity
and volume of peak run-off is too
high for loose boulder structures
a) Earthen dams, which serve as
percolation reservoirs in the
upper catchment.
b) Sand-filled bag structures in
order to check the velocity of
stream flowwhere sand is locally
available
c) Gabion structures where
velocity and volume of peak runoff is too highfor loose boulder
structures
a) naala training, including
deepening channels and raising
embankments,along sections of
streams, where during peak
floods, the stream flows over
Page | 41
raised along
sections of the
streams that
overflow and flood.
 local bed slopes
between 5-20%
 groundwater
harvesting wells are
located alongside
Farm
 Since this is where
water drains out, it
is the most fertile
and suited for
agriculture related
works. Tap subsurface water and
recycle to irrigate
second crop. Save
crops from dry
spells by providing
life saving irrigation
Improve soil
moisture.
Permeable/dry soil
Water harvesting
Tanks
Waterlogged field
Seepage Tanks
Low Land wells
its embankments and damages
the fields alongside
b) embankment stabilisation
through gabions or sand-filled
bag structuresin stretches where
the banks are particularly
vulnerable and
needreinforcement
loose boulder checks
Underground dykes in the
discharge zone where the
impermeable strata areoverlain
by thin layer of permeable
deposits
System of bunds and diversion
channels for a stretch of fields
from local ridge to drain. While in
permeable soils the bunds help
increase soil-moisture profile
WHTs to catch the runoff from
the farm land. It increases
infiltration and, checks erosion,
increases soil moisture regime,
increases ground water level.
Seepage drains which help
vertical drainage of excess soil
moisture into permeable strata
underlying the top soil,
simultaneously increasing.
Seepage tanks to catch the
seepage water and lateral flows,
very useful to cultivate second
crop after rainy season.
Groundwater recharge, system of
bunds and diversion channels
Low land wells can be dug in low
lands with good seepage and
water can be used in the same
field in summer season and lifted
to distant uplands during rabi
season when low lands are water
logged.

Grasses are not good crop
choices for scarce farm lands,
fooder crops e.g. grasses and
Page | 42
 Around wells and
along bunds
fodder trees can be grown in
upland treated areas.
Farm lands should have food or
cash crops based on family’s
priority.
Plantation of horticultural species
it should go into
uplands/medium uplands where
irrigation infrastructure is
created.
Reference: SamajPragatiSahyog Manual, ‘NREGA: Watershed Works Manual’ - 7.1, 8.1, 9.1,
10.1, 11.1, 12.1, 13.1, 14.1 for diagrams of these various structures [please see Annexure]
Along with agriculture, livestock-rearing (such as cows or buffaloes or poultry or engaging in
fisheries and piggery) is also a major source of livelihood for both land-owning families and
landless families. It is important to include the activities that will help the families in
enhancing non-farm livelihoods. Problems like poor quality animal breed, scarcity of fodder
(especially during summer),lack of grazing pasture and lack of proper shelter are often cited
as primary issues. Without in house fodder cultivation, bovine rearing can be very risky.
The following is an illustrative table on the types of works that may be taken up in common
and private lands based on the family-need and livelihood-context:
Type of
Focus
Agriculture
Livestock
Details
Common Land
Land
Boulder check Dam
Development Gabion Structure
Gully plug
Plantation and fodder
production
Water
Contour trench
Conservation Contour bund
and
Underground dyke
Harvesting
Earthen Dam
Stop Dam
Irrigation
Canal rehabilitation –
minor and sub minor
strengthening
Soil Fertility
Belt vegetation in coastal
improvement area to protect from sea
erosion
Construction of storm
water drain system
Deepening and repair of
main flood channel
Productivity
Private Land
Boulder check Dam
Farm Bund
Gully plug
Deepening of field channel to
protect from flood
Dug out pond, 5% Model
Recharge pit, 30X40 Model
Field Channels
Dug Well, seepage pits
NADEP composting pit
Gliricidia plantation
Vermicomposting pit
Liquid bio manure pit
Construction of pucca floor,
Page | 43
improvement
Common
Activities or
facilities
Horticulture
& Tree
Plantation
Small
improvement
Poultry
development
Fisheries
Fisheries in seasonal Water
development Bodies onPublic Lands
Fish drying yard
Sanitation
Soak Pit
Afforestation
Plantation
School toilet unit
Aanganwadi toilet unit
Solid and liquid waste
management
Afforestation
Tree Plantation. Roadside
Fruit Tree Plantation
urine tank, fodder trough for
cattle
Goat shelter
Poultry Shelter
Fisheries in private water
bodies
Individual Household Latrine
and bathrooms
Soak Pit
Fruit Tree Plantation
Timber Tree Plantation
Source: Srijan (2012) User’s manual: Building sustainable livelihoods of the poor through
MGNREGA
Since a major focus of the planning exercise is to help the community in diversifying its
livelihood portfolio, along with treatment of the land, it is advisable to explore horticulture
options with the families during the transect. The following section explains the horticulture
option in details.
2.3 Selecting Works: Plantation/Afforestation
Horticulture refers to all types of plantation and afforestation works that may be taken up
under MGNREGA. In simple terms afforestation means “the establishment of a forest, stand
or tree plantation on an area not previously forested, or on land from which forest cover has
very long been absent.” Effectively, it is to increase woody vegetation cover by creating new
or restoring existing vegetation patches. In general the goal of afforestation work may be
either for ecological restoration/conservation purpose or for production purpose which
include both economic and social gains.
The following are the points to be kept in mind:


Horticulture is a branch of agriculture that refers to the growing of fruits,
vegetables and flowers. These works may be taken up either to meet needs of
families (for food or fuel) or else to regenerate degraded lands.
On common lands, which might be public or revenue lands, panchayat or forest
lands, plantation of fruit bearing trees can be taken up on road sides, canal sides,
pond bunds, railway track sides, rank foreshores, river sides, coastal belt,
wastelands, community lands, Pasture land, Forest Land etc. On private land,
works can be taken up on house premises or farm lands.
Page | 44

On private land block plantation of Fruit or timber trees can be planted based on
availability of irrigation and soil type.
 Prefer native species and seeds.
 Create structurally diverse patches of vegetation (vertical foliage layers) by
maintaining appropriate over storey (small or large trees) and under-storey
(shrub) plants.
 Do plantations in phased wise manner so that create multi-age stand
The following are the sub-tasks that may be taken up:
Activity
Sub-Tasks
Nursery Development
Clearing of weeds and unwanted species from selected site.
Fencing of site
Bed preparation (including the filling of soil in polythene bags,
seeding etc.)
Watering
Plantation Site
Preparation
Removal of weeds and other unwanted vegetation
Plantation
Collection and storage of seeds of native plant species
Pits making for plantation Watering
Manuring
Maintenance
Weed Removal
Repair of protective fences
Pruning of plants
2.4 Outcome Orientation
By the end of the transect walk, it is expected that the team and the community would have
achieved the following:


The team would have identified the vegetative and structural measures for the
selected patch, keeping in mind the livelihood-need and the land-treatment
required.
The team would have mobilised the land-owners and other community members
around the need for INRM-based treatment and opportunities under MGNREGS.
Now that the various types of works have been identified, one also needs to keep in mind
how outcomes related to these works may be measured once they are completed. This is
important from the point of view of creating assets that lead to overall development of the
region. If outcomes are seen over a longer period, that should be stated as such. For the
types of works identified, the planner should also indicate likely outcomes.
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Chapter 7
MNREGA and Convergence
In view of the intersectorality of MGNREGA, the need to create durable assets and the fact that
MGNREGA workforce constitutes the target group of most development programme, a
comprehensive and effective possibilities of convergence, latent in MGNREGA. During the
planning process this possibility need to be explored. Convergence would help MGNREGS to
ensure a steady stream of projects involving unskilled manual labour while at the same time
enriching the relevance of these projects to the rural economy.
Scope
The present model of convergence considers those programme and schemes in which planning
process and works are similar to those in MGNREGA. Ongoing programme works will be
converged at appropriate stage within guideline of both programme.This is necessary to begin
with, other schemes may be added value addition to MGNREGA works.
Why MGNREGA as entry point for convergence
Development literature suggests that the battle for sustainable development in the twenty
first century will be won or lost depending on how we could consolidate and converge the
multiplicity of schemes through well defined operational guidelines. The convergence of
development schemes that are implemented by various ministries and departments of state
and central governments offers advantages that are widely accepted and these include:







Synergies in learning and knowledge sharing
Leveraging scarce physical and financial resources
Increased transparency in decision making and process design
Objectivity and clarity in targeting programme beneficiaries
Reduced time and cost slippages in programme implementation
Breaking the self seeking nexus between contractors and stakeholders.
Stronger democratic processes result as convergence helps enhance participatory
decision making through increased awareness of development schemes
NREGA is seen as the entry point for convergence of most development programmes in the
rural areas for the following reasons:





NREGA permits a suite of development works required for watershed development in
rain-fed area, for command area development in irrigated areas and fair weather
road for rural area connectivity
Access to untied funds for local area planning
Emphasis on decentralized bottom up planning which enables need assessment at
grassroot level by gram panchayats and hence the empowerment of Panchayat Raj
Institutions (PRIs).
Legal safeguards provided for in the NREGA
Facilitates sustainable development through natural resource management
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
Facilitates effective targeting of beneficiaries and leads to development of human
capital and physical capital through institutional linkages
Convergence of the NREGA funds with funds from other sources can help in creation of durable
assets while reducing the scope for duplicity and redundancy of institutional and physical
structures. For instance, funds available with PRIs from other Central or Centrally Sponsored
Schemes (such as SGSY, IWDP, BRGF) can be dovetailed with NREGA funds for the construction of
quality community assets in the category of permissible works. However NREGA funds should not
be used as substitute resources by different departments and agencies for their own activities
Convergence of the funds from other sources with MGNREGA funds can help in creation of
durable assets. For instance, funds available with PRIs from other sources (such as the National
Finance Commission, State Finance Commission, State Departments) and other Central or
Centrally Sponsored Schemes (such as SGSY, DPAP, DDP, IWDP, BRGF) can be dovetailed with
MGNREGA funds for the construction of durable community assets under the works permissible.
However MGNREGA funds should not be used as substitute resources by different departments
and agencies for their own activities.
Framework for Convergence
MGNREGA can provide the primary input into natural resource generation. For it to become the
basis of sustainable development back-forward Linkages have to be worked out and the entire
work be conceptualized as a project. The project approach must have a two fold objective: (i)
ensuring that the work under MGNREGA is made durable through appropriate inputs (such as
technologies not permitted under MGNREGA). This may normally imply moving from kuccha to
pukka, (ii) Using the physical asset created under NREGA for economic activities in a way that the
labour that has worked on that asset is able to earn an income from it.
Link with Annual plan with State convergence Plan (SCP)
The annual plan should be part of State convergence plan for 2015-16 and also include
ongoing project of 2014-15 in the next year SCP, which will be share with line departments
for resource share.
To gain maximum out of it all attempts should be made for convergence with other schemes,
such as Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP), RashtriyaKrishiVikas Yojana
(RKVY), Command Area Development and Water Management (CAD&WM), National
Horticulture Mission (NHM) etc. This will enable in attaining sustainable livelihoods, for
example convergence with Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC). Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA) and
National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) will help improve Human Development
Indicators.
Convergence Plan Focus on Integrated Natural Resource Management (INRM)/Agriculture
activities
The works taken up in MGNREGS should be taken up in INRM perspective. Planned and
systematic development of land and harnessing of rainwater following watershed principles
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should become the central focus of MGNREGS works across the country to sustainably
enhance farm productivity and incomes of poor people.
The INRM should include total quality management of natural resources with specific focus
on in-situ rainwater harvesting to minimize rainwater run-off, bringing fallow lands into
cultivation, putting common lands to productive use, developing the lands of SC/ST and
small and marginal farmers(SMF) so as to enhance their productivity and strengthen
livelihoods. Systematic identification and implementation of projects will lead to creation of
sustainable and productive assets for the community.
Individual works should be logically sequenced and packaged together on the principles of
INRM to form projects. Even works on private lands should be taken up following the
principles of watershed management in an integrated manner.
It is possible that some projects from the list recommended by Gram Sabha do not finally
get approved for some reason. Therefore, the list should contain enough number of projects
so that the Shelf of Projects (SoP) that emerges through this process is more than adequate
to meet the projected demand for work for at least two years. A SoP covering at least two
years of implementation will enable
(a) adequate time for required technical scrutiny before granting technical sanctions and
(b) eliminate delays in providing employment because of lack of requisite approvals.
In case a PIA's proposal is found technically inadequate or incorrect then a two year SoP will
provide adequate time to PIAs to make modifications and corrections for sanction and
inclusion of their proposals in the SoP. It must also be ensured that the GP adds new
projects to the SoP every year to replace the component which is completed
A Block Resource Team (BRT) will be set up as a resource and facilitation centre for
knowledge inputs, capacity building and convergence in each GP. Existing resource
organizations from the voluntary sector could be identified as BRT. The BRT will perform the
following functions in terms of convergence :
i) Provide technical inputs for planning, including those resources from other line dept
and schemes through convergence to improve durability and quality of asserts
ii) Ensure convergence between MGNREGS and other production-oriented schemes of
government for gap filling and value addition so that assets created under MGNREGS
are productively used by the poor to enhance their incomes.
If the planning team believes that the current list of permissible works is not proving
adequate to create durable assets & generate sufficient employment under the
MGNREGA then the planning team should
(i)
identified the works that may not be currently permissible under 60:40 ratio
but would create durable assets & generate additional employment through
resource support from other schemes; and
(ii)
Since work lead to the creation of durable assets and strengthen the livelihood
resource base of the rural poor, then the planning team should draw up a
proposal for convergence with untied schemes like BRGF, MP fund, MLA fund,
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13th Finance Commission, IAP fund for convergence project during gram sabha
meeting.
Once the works is approved at gram sabha, the resource team should support GP and
block functionaries in term of preparation of shelf of project. The shelf of the project
in each GP should contain the following:
a. Justification for the work.
b. Areas of the GP where this work would be undertaken.
c. Numbers of people likely to be employed (employment potential).
d. Nature of durable asset likely to be created.
e. How this work will strengthen the livelihood base of the rural poor.
f. Other benefits that may accrue such as continued employment opportunities,
strengthening of the local economy and improving the quality of lives of
people.
g. Indicate whether this will require convergence with any other
scheme/programme running in the State. If yes, then the nature of
convergence, how it would be achieved and in which accounts the
requirements of MGNREGA would be maintained
The team should use the following table for resource mapping
S.No
Agency/Schemes Availability
of Resource
Contribution from
MGNREGA in term of
resource (Financial +
Material)
Contribution required from
line dept in term of resource
(Financial + Material)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
IAY (Housing)
NBA (Toilet)
PMGSY (Road)
IWMP (Watershed)
RashtriyaKrishiVikash Yojana
(RKVY)
6. National Horticulture Mission
(NHM)
7. Fisheries Dept
8. Animal Husbandry
9. Irrigation Schemes
10. National Afforestation
Schemes
11. Women & Child
Development
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Some Existing Modes of Convergence
S.No
Sector
Works under MGNREGA
Works from resource of other line
dept
1
Agriculture
 Land development
 Field ponds
 Seeds
 Tool &equipment for agriculture
 Fertiliser
 Technical inputs
 Drip irrigation
(Agriculture Dept)
2
Horticulture
3
Sericulture
 Pits
 Trenches along the
boundary
 Watering
 Field preparation
 Planting
 Weeding
 Watering
4
Forestry
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

5
Fisheries
 Construction of tanks
 Desilting of tanks
6
Irrigation
7
Road
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 Saplings/seedlings for plantation
 Fertilizer
 Pesticide
(Horticulture Dept)
 Application of fertilizer & pesticide
 Technical assistance
 Drip irrigation
 Rearing house
 (Sericulture dept& irrigation dept)
 Nursery Development
 Sapling
 Fertilizer
 Pesticide
(Forest Dept)
 Fingerlings
 Manure
 Artificial feedings
 Purchase of Net
(Fisheries Dept)
 Construction of permanent
structure
(Agriculture and irrigation dept)
 Interlinking and culvert
 Base course, surface course &
gravel road
(BRGF, PMGSY)
Contour trench
Pits
Fencing
Watering
Field Channels
Water course
Earth works
Erath works
Watering & rolling
Roadside plantation
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Chapter 8
Facilitating Gram Sabha for approval of plans
This chapter will cover:
-
How the Block Planning Team will seek approval of draft plans by the Gram
Sabha
How to improve participation, representation and transparency in the MNREGA
planning process through the Gram Sabha
1. What is Gram Sabha? What is the role or Gram Sabha for planning under
MGNREGA? What is the role of the ward sabha in planning?
Section 16 of the Act which lays down the responsibilities of the gram panchayat lays down
the role of the gram sabha as well as the ward sabha in recommending works. The gram
panchayat is then expected to prepare a development plan and a shelf of works to be taken
up as and when demand for work arises.
Section 7 of schedule I states that ‘all works to be executed by the Gram Panchayats shall
be identified and placed before the Gram Sabha, and such works which are to be executed
by the intermediate Panchayats or other implementing agencies shall be placed before the
intermediate or District Panchayats, along with the expected outcomes ‘
The MNREGA operational guidelines 2013, refers to the gram sabha as ‘the principal forum
for wage seekers to raise their voices and make
The BPT will refer to the Panchayat
demands.’. It recommends works to be taken up
and is also the final authority on determining the
Raj Acts of the specific states for
order of priority in which works will be taken up.
specificities of the level at which
This order of priority cannot be disturbed by any
the meeting is to be held, quorum,
other authority.
powers and functions of office
The guidelines also state that where ward sabhas
exist they will perform the same functions as
gram sabhas.
bearers and other rules governing
the conduct of the gram sabha.
2. What is the expected role of the BPT in improving participation in the Gram Sabha?
One of the most common complaints with the functioning of the programme is the noninvolvement of the gram sabha in the planning process. Although bottom up planning lies at
the heart of the MNREGA, the top-down approach continues to prevail and implementation
of the programme so far has bypassed the gram sabha. This has subverted one of the core
objectives of the programme which is to strengthen PRIs.
The choice of works tends to reflect the priorities of the rural elite, usually the elected head
of the panchayat. Even where gram sabhas do take place, discussions tend to exclude the
voices of women and vulnerable groups and are captured by more influential groups in the
village. Further, decisions in the gram sabha are rarely made available to public. The
opaqueness of the deliberations prevents access to information which can be used to
demand greater accountability.
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The weakness in functioning of the gram sabha can be attributed to both the low levels of
awareness amongst people around MNREGA entitlements as well as the lack of training to
PRI representatives. Even MNREGA administrative officers and frontline functionaries have
not been able to adequately mobilise gram sabhas to increase their participation in planning
and programme implementation.
The IPPE is an initiative intended to address the above shortcomings in MNREGA
implementation and also a step towards strengthening the Gram Sabha as a decision making
body of the people. The IPPE seeks to deepen people’s engagement with the planning
process and the gram sabha is a culmination of this entire exercise. Therefore it is critical
that the BPT understand, imbibe, follow and ensure that the principles of transparency and
accountability are followed at every stage of the planning process and in particular during
the Gram Sabha.
The Gram Sabha is the final stage of the participatory planning process and people in the
panchayat/village would have interacted with the BPT as part of the household surveys,
resource mapping, transact walk, tola meetings etc. Therefore, there will be some
awareness around MNREGA and the planning process but the gram sabha is an opportunity
to present the draft plans, seek final feedback and finalise the shelf of works. The BPT must
make special efforts to encourage people from vulnerable groups and women to express
their views in the Gram Sabha. The Gram Sabha is also an opportunity to provide basic
technical inputs on NRM, convergence with livelihood activities etc to different stakeholders
To sum up, what are the improvement we want to see in the functioning
of the gram sabha?
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Increased peoples participation, particularly of vulnerable
groups
Greater transparency for informed decision making
Strengthening democratic functioning of panchayats
Quality improvement in plans through gram sabha
to ensure that the panchayat plans are comprehensive and sequenced properly.
3. How will the gram sabha be called?
Gram Sabhas will be held either at the level of the village or the panchayat depending on
what is specified in the Panchayati Raj and PESA Acts of the particular state. The difficulty in
mobilising people and ensuring participation will increase as the level of the gram sabha and
number of people increases and must be accounted for when planning for the pre-gram
sabha phase.
The DPC will ensure that a calendar for gram sabha meetings is drawn up all the IPPE blocks
in the district should be announced well in advance. The announcement of gram sabha must
contain the date, time, venue and the purpose of the meeting. All gram sabha meetings
must be completed by 15th November 2014. BPT must inform people of the date, time and
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venue of the gram sabhaat the time of conducting door to door surveys, FGDs and the
entire mapping process.
The notification of the gram sabha should be publicised through advertisements in local
newspapers, radio, beating of drums and prominently displayed notices and direct
communication with panchayat officials. The block planning team along with the PRS will
mobilise Gram Sabha. The support peoples’groups, activists and other local resource
persons should be enlisted to ensure wide participation in the gram sabha.
4. Who should be present in the gram sabha?
The quorum of the gram sabha will be determined by the PRI and PESA Act of the state. If
the prescribed quorum is not met, the gram sabha will be adjourned and reconvened at the
same place and time three days after the date of this meeting. Even if not specifically
referred to in the state PRI acts, the BPT will make focused efforts to maximise the
participation of women and SCs and STs in the gram sabha.
All elected members of the GP must attend, including ward members. The charge officer
must ensure some representation of line departments in the gram sabha. A minimum of 3
members of the BPT must attend.
5. How will the Gram Sabha be conducted?
The Gram Sabha must take place in a neutral public space. The meeting will not be
conducted in the hamlet/village of the head of the panchayat. The venue selected for the
public hearing should be large enough to accommodate the number of people expected to
attend. The stage should be set up in a manner that avoids any crowding or disruptions and
women should be seated in front. Gram Panchayat officials should be included in all
decisions regarding the arrangements for the public hearings in their areas.
Appropriate arrangements for microphones and speakers must be made to ensure all
participants are audible and recording can be done. The proceedings of the public hearing
must be video recorded and all the arrangements for videography must be made
beforehand.
A member of the BPT can facilitate the gram sabha, but the event must be organised
through the local administration and the designated panchayat officials. The DPC will
appoint observers to ensure the smooth conduct of every Gram Sabha meeting. It is
important for note takers and rapporteurs to be appointed in advance to carefully
document all the deliberations/decisions and accurately report all the views expressed
during the gram sabha. These must be compiled and written up in a detailed report
prepared after each gram sabha.
Who will preside over the meeting of the gram sabha will be decided based on the
provisions of the state PRI Act. The chosen moderators must be experienced and wellversed with the planning process and panchayat plan. All proceedings must be held in the
local language with effective and credible translators identified beforehand, if required. The
moderator of the public hearing must allow people to speak for themselves and provide
adequate time for the presentation of views and for the representatives to respond to
questions and concerns.
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6. What will the agenda of the gram sabha be and how will the plans be presented
for gram sabha approval?
The ward-wise plans will be presented preferably by the ward member, assisted by BPT
members. The facilitator/moderator must follow the agenda suggested below as far as
possible:






Introduction of key persons present and introduction to the gram sabha and agenda
for the meeting
Overview of MNREGA: Present current and past status of MNREGA in the GP such as
works taken up, employment provided etc.
Potential of MGNREGA in addressing poverty, supporting livelihood, NRM, asset
creation, mitigating natural calamities like drought etc
Presentation on the natural resource and livelihood related problems/issues and
prospective solutions.
Steps followed during the labour budget and IPPE
Habitation wise presentation of estimated demand and identified works along with
prioritisation2
The BPT is encouraged to work with local volunteers to prepare the layout and display of
information to effectively present the habitation wise plans during the public hearing.
Possible items for display could include resource maps, MNREGA entitlements, illustrations
of permissible works, pictoral charts mapping demand over seasons, months and
habitations etc.
7. Prioritisation and revisiting the plan
As the habitation wise plans are presented the moderator will invite comments from people
which will be incorporated into the plan before final approval of the priority during the
meeting. The moderator must facilitate the discussion and seek responses from the peoples.
The criteria for determining a good plan as detailed in chapter 5 should be revisted here as
well.
8. Arriving at Consensus on Plan of Work and Prioritisation
Given that there will be competing interests and a perception of scarce resources, conflicts
may emerge during the gram sabha or in the process of planning which will need careful
handling to avoid conflict situations.
Some possible disputes which may arise:

2All
implementing agencies including line departments, District Panchayat, Intermediate
Panchayats etc. will send their list of projects to be included in the Shelf of Projects well before
15th August of each year to the respective GP. Convergence works will also discussed during
the GS and prioritised during the meeting. Works that are inserted at Intermediate
Panchayat(IP) and District Panchayat(DP) level have to be approved and assigned a priority
by the GS before administrative approval can be given. The GS may accept, amend or reject
them.
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



One Tola may have less MNREGA workers but they might be in greater need of
employment and asset creation
Undue interference of of PRI members to get a greater share for their respective
constituencies hamlets
Presence of a particular social group or hamlet residents in large numbers in gram
sabha might influence decisions
Individual works might get greater preference over genuine community needs
There are different ways of dealing with such situations which may be used depending on
the situation. Facilitators must get the participants in the gram sabha to lay down some
common norms which will be followed in the conduct of the gram sabha and for arriving at
decisions. In the resolution of conflicts, the perspective of vulnerable groups must be given
adequate weight and priority in arriving at a resolution.
9. Documentation of resolution and seeking approval
Refer to format for ward-wise plans.
10. Handing over plans and filing/archiving of documents
Planning is not a one-time exercise but is iterative and therefore it is important to
carefully archive all documents and maps used in this round. All documents should be
compiled and indexed by habitation for future reference.
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