 64 years into its independence, India is one of the world's fastest growing economies. But sadly, the fruits of development have not been shared with rural, agricultural India, a space we often refer to as Bharat. Wrestling with poverty, hunger, malnutrition and illiteracy. The rural poor migrate to big cities in sheer desperation, often ending up in sub-human conditions. To offer fellow citizens a better life, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act was passed in 2005, promising 100 days of work to any rural household whose adult members are willing to do unskilled manual labour. Every household needs register for a job card first and then file an application for work. Within 15 days of applying, work has to be allocated to that family, failing which an unemployment allowance is to be paid. And in most states, the wages paid are not below the minimum wages of that state. Five years into its implementation across the country, the Mahatma Gandhi-Narega scheme is creating change that is now visible. From restoring water tables in Rajasthan to shaking power structures in Bihar, the economic empowerment of the poor is also contributing towards enhancing their dignity and self-respect. Sikkim, nestled in the Himalayas, under the benign watchfulness of Kanchen Zonga, the Guardian deity. Pristine and serene, Sikkim is an amazing experience. This state is using Mahatma Gandhi-Narega as a scheme to transform the countryside. Narega has come like a bone to the state and we have these proud indigenous people in this mountain state. And there was this issue of having employment opportunities in the village which were pretty few. So we look at Narega as a source of additional income for our people. And instead of positioning Narega as a scheme for the unskilled labour, we are positioning it more or less like a scheme where the people can build their village, where they can build their country. And at the same time some community assets are also getting created. An irrigation channel is being built here in Arithar, Regu district, to divert the flow of monsoon water to 20 individual households, generating employment as well as long-term benefits. In my opinion, the single most important achievement of the department, it lies in conversion of this scheme, transformation of this scheme, from a wage-oriented, labour-oriented scheme to a social movement, where a lot of people are working in the same way. At the Rang Kablok, I am impressed with the use of biometric smart cards at the varying worksite. Ensuring transparency is the top-most priority of the program in Sikkim. And we have various safeguards to ensure that the program really performs and delivers. And to ensure transparency, we have various ways to ensure that the program performs and delivers. The state, with the most impressive track record of clean and detailed social audits, is under probation, where the program was first launched. The Rural Development Ministry here has accepted that the onus of providing information is on the state. An independent body, the Society for Social Audit, Accountability and Transparency has been entrusted with the implementation of the social audit process. I think the Act had a provision. They said there was this one line which said the social audit would be done by the Gram Sabha. Who are members of the Gram Sabha? Who is going to train them? Nobody mentioned what the process of doing a social audit is. It's a 10-day process or a 15-day process. You have to collect records. You have to ensure that people are able to understand those records. They need to know where to access those records. They need to know what to do once they've accessed those records. The Society oversees all activities. The Rural Development Ministry has been working with the Rural Development Ministry to ensure that the program performs and delivers. The Society oversees all activities. From training village youth to become village social auditors to holding Gram Sabha meetings that bring together all the adults living in the area who are beneficiaries under the scheme. After a social audit is completed, they'll read out the issues in the Gram Sabha. Basically, the Sarpanch presides Gram Sabha and all the weight seekers and the maid, everybody who belongs to that village come and attend the meeting. Three days later, the public hearing is held, presided over by the Project Development Officer. Here, all the audited records are presented and lakhs of officials brought to task. A lot of things have come out if you find that, you know, we've spent close to about 10,000 plus crores in this state. We have, through our three rounds of social audits, managed to unearth more than 100 plus crores of financial deviation. We've managed to recover close to 25 crores. We've removed people from their jobs. More than 7,000 people have lost their jobs. What we find now is right across the country, either through innovative bureaucrats or through a government and political will, which is extremely important, but even where there isn't political will, there is now a demand from the people, because the people realize that they should be getting these 100 days of work. They are not getting it. They are up in arms about it. They are realizing that people are stealing some of the resources. They are realizing that people are, that job cards are not being provided or work is not being provided. And that has provided the kind of impetus and energy that people needed, which was missing for 60 years in India's development efforts. People say that too much money has been spent on Mahatma Gandhi Narayana. I wonder. Each state has its own story to tell, but at the end of the day, does this act not pass the touchstone of Mahatma Gandhi's talisman, who once said that when in doubt, recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man who you may have seen and ask yourself if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him. Will he gain anything by it? Will it restore him to a control over his own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to swaraj for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Basically, I think the M.J. NREGA will continue to operate till such time as we really get rid of poverty. In a process of many years, we also hope that the M.J. NREGA will then only become a small act, an act which will cater to a small number of people who will really need the act. But till such time comes, this is extremely important guarantee for the life, livelihood and dignity of poor people.