The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) was a clear winner for UPA in its first term. And in its second term, the government has offered more in the act.
NREGA workers will be among the first recipients of the unique ID cards being developed by Nandan Nilekani. Also, other rural development projects will be dovetailed with NREGA.
But activists argue this is too much, too soon.
Aruna Roy was one of the chief campaigners for the original scheme. But for her, such changes are too much.
"These changes have been made without any consultation. We are very happy that our child has started walking but you put him in a marathon? It's not equipped to do that," she said.
Other activists like Roy and Jean Dreze want some basic issues sorted out first. They want job cards to be given to all workers. They have also pointed out that advisory bodies like the Central Employment Guarantee Council are virtually dysfunctional, and there is increasing interference from government departments in determining how to use NREGA funds.
However, the Rural Development Ministry is not willing to respond to these charges. But sources say the changes to the scheme have been made after consulting several experts.
In fact, Professor M S Swaminathan, the father of the Green Revolution, says it was his idea to merge NREGA with other development schemes.
"Convergence is what I've been fighting for and fortunately now it has happened. But they have to develop watershed, soil cover and water harvesting. These technical capacities are not with the panchayats. So by convergence you are bringing IIT, technical and agricultural universities. That's how you can maximize benefits of NREGA," he said.
And so government has to tread carefully with its new plans for this scheme.
