This is how we found Bihar after flood in Kosi river

We were in Bihar to collect different data. When Morsel team(Bhartendu, Atulesh, Abhijeet and others) entered the state, sight was horrible. Most of the bridges were drowned deep into the flood water. Some of them were broken badly.
See these pics and get to know that how tough it was to work in these areas of Bihar. But still our project team did an excellent work and provided good results.

Campaigns to Influence Voting Behavior in India

Project Overview: With young democracies facing challenges across the developing world, efforts are underway to mobilize voters in order to make elected officials more accountable for delivering results. Unfortunately, we observe that in many places, voters do not seem to use candidates' performance or policy priorities as their key criteria. Beyond these observations, little rigorous evidence exists to explain individuals' voting behavior in low-income countries, or how voters' actions can improve government outcomes. Does voting behavior based on ethnicity, caste or gender outweigh voting based on issues and performance in poor, rural communities? Can voter mobilization or education campaigns lead to more accountable government? These questions are currently being addressed using experimental data that compares the behavior of voters in randomly selected villages exposed to a voter campaign with the behavior of voters in a comparable set of villages that were not included in the campaign. Several campaigns were carried out by a local NGO to test the influence of interventions such as entertainment, "dialoguing," community meetings, and posting materials on voting behavior.
To see whether campaigns could induce voters to hold corrupt officials accountable, one campaign provided an anti-corruption message along with publicly-available information about incumbents' performance in office. Another campaign focused on reducing caste-based voting, by helping communities identify issues of importance to them and encouraging people to vote based on those issues rather than for parties associated with their castes. Finally, a female voter mobilization campaign was designed to measure whether election outcomes would be more representative of women's priorities if more women voted.
Policy Relevance:
The results of this evaluation will provide valuable information about rural voters' behavior. In addition, the estimated impacts of various voter education/mobilization campaigns will suggest ways for governments and NGO's to increase communities' capacity to hold their elected leaders accountable for their performance.
Courtesy- JPAL (http://www.povertyactionlab.com/)

Meet with our base team--

Time to push in field (Archan, Babita, Suchitra, Kamini, Lalji, Ved, Harsh, Susheel, Atulesh, Neeraj-left to right)


Memories…

Atulesh Kumar
Education-
Post Graduation in I.T.I
Experience-
8 Years
Work detail-
· 7 years with Akhil Bhartiya Gramodyog Sewa Sansthan, Baharaich.
· One year with Sarthi Development Foundation, Lucknow
· One year with “Morsel” Lucknow.
Knowledge Domain:
· Save motherhood and child survival by CRS.
· Family Planning by SIFSA.
· Human Literacy Program
· Field Survey through Participatory Rural Appraisal
· Organization need based training program

Hey, Its great experience working with MORSEL. Our last project was “Impact of rural transport infrastructure on poverty alleviation & employment: Evidence from UP”. This project was based on PMGSY (a Government of India program). I cannot forget a village of Hardoi District and its villagers. When we reached in village, namely Baghauramal, villagers they would not take part in any type of meeting or activities related to government’s work because they are most marginalized community in whole district. My team faced biggest challenge that day because we tried to convince them about one hour but no one even wants to hear us. Then we tried our formula to chose a volunteer and then ask some question besides questionnaire and try to choose a person, who is trying to be smart. Then focus will be on one person and then slowly you can move on questionnaire and whole gathering. This trick is always working. It worked in Baghauramal also.

Neeraj Kumar Verma
Education-
Post Graduation in Population Study & Rural Development
Experience-
1 Year
Work detail-
With MORSEL

Hi, I worked in “Impact of rural transport infrastructure on poverty alleviation & employment: Evidence from UP” project with MORSEL. In this project I traveled around 12 districts of Uttar Pradesh. This was the great experience for me and real challenge. Because, I had had to convince a mob of 100-150 people and collect right information from them as they used to think that we are from a government office. And started to tell all the problems of village and always looked desperate to get a scheme benefit. We found lot of difficulties during survey but due to better management, we solved them so quickly. However traveling was the big task for us & in those villages which have no road. If I would go through my survey village, I would say Pilwankhera (Hardoi District) was the toughest village. Villagers did not cast their votes in last assembly election, so it was in limelight since 1 year. When my team entered in the village, no one wants to entertain us. Villagers refused to come in our meeting. Then we talk to an educated person of the village and convince him that we were from a research company and we were going to prepare a report. On that report government would bring development in your villages. Then with the help of that person, we went door to door. We said to villagers, “we selected your village and came here from 600 Km to check all the work. And after one hour there were about 100 people in our meeting. This incidence gave us height of confidence that we are the best….

Kamini Sahu
Education-
Post Graduation in English & Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Application
Experience-
3.5 Year
Work detail-
· 2 years with Grameen Vikas & Viklang Seva Samiti (Sitapur District) as office manager
· 6 months at Sarthi Seva Sansthan in voter awareness project.
· 2 months with CSDS in Post Poll Survey (Bahraich District)
· 2 months with Central Study Developing Society, Delhi in youth survey (District Barabanki)
· 6 months with MORSEL in Road survey on PMGSY.

Hi, “Impact of rural transport infrastructure on poverty alleviation & employment: Evidence from UP” project gave us a good opportunity to learn how to change a mob in a task oriented meeting. I want to share a experience of village, namely Bahrampur Khera (Shajahanpur District). We reached in village and found we cannot do meeting because of the dispute related to Mid Day Meal scheme. One BDC member and MDM care taker alleging each other & on this issue whole village bifurcated in rival groups. First, we tried to understand the situation then directly discuss about our task with BDC member and then MDM care taker. After one hour they became ready to come in our but they said very harshly that they are not going to support in arranging the meeting. But we went door to door and tell both are parties are coming in the meeting and after 1.30 hour about 70 people were at the meeting place (chosen by us). We had done a successful meeting here. Along this village we faced some more problems like one time our bike punctured, then we towed it about 3 KM. One time we forced to cross water logging land etc… but we can say proudly that this project gave us a great experience about rural life.

Lalji Yadav
Education-
Pursuing PHD in Social Work (Lucknow University)
Experience-
1 Year
Work detail-
6 months with MORSEL in Road survey on PMGSY and various data collection work.

Hi, in this project my team done a done a great job. With lot of difficulties I find this was my best performance. I also want to share a experience of a village, where I learn how perfectly someone can mobiles people for one task. Village, namely Jungel No. 11 (Lakimpur District), is about 50 KM away from Block headquarter. We had to cross a muddy road to enter in the village. When we reached in village, we faced our first surprise. When we were on the road, we thought this should be most underdeveloped village in UP, but we saw most of households have cell phones. When we arranged meeting, 50-60 people were gathered at one place but my team started to get opposite answers & villagers were giving us a sense that we are totally fool. 2-3 villagers started to use corrupt language. Then we chosen educated and old person and convince him and brief him about our task. We told him that we are not from govt. office then after 15 minutes of our discussion he became ready to support us. With the help of him, we started our meeting again and at last we finished our meeting successfully.

Suchitra Viashya
Education-
MA in Sociology
Experience-
3.5 Year
Work detail-
· 1 year with Mahila Samakhya on women empowerment program (Sitapur District)
· 1 year with Sahbhagi Sikhan Sansthan on community participation program (Sitapur District)
· 6 months at Sarthi Seva Sansthan in voter awareness project.
· 6 months in Sawashakti (Sitapur District) for documentation.
· 6 months with MORSEl in road project.

Hi, I worked in field with Lalji, so my experience is same as him. But I want to share a experience about a village, namely Hazaripurwa (Kanpur Dehat). When we reached in the village, we found that about one week ago somebody murdered in Pradhan’s home. So no villagers dared to attain meeting. We directly discuss about our task to Pradhan. With his help we went door to door & tried to convince villagers. We almost spent 10 minutes in one house. After spending 3 sweaty hours in village some people gathered at temple. And when we started our meeting, after 10 minutes there was about 70-80 villagers, who were listing and answering us. In this meeting we used our old techniques related to unlocking people and ice breaking for getting answers.

Richa Vaishya,
Education-
MA in English Literature, BA in Economics, Diploma in Computer Application
Experience-
1 Year
Work detail-
· 6 months with Sahbhagi Sikhan Sansthan on community participation program (Sitapur District)
· 6 months with MORSEl in road project.

Hi, I am youngest persons in all teams but I enjoyed most during whole project. Even in Jaselmer village of Kanpur Dehat, I towed the mo-bike because it was punctured. But at last we gave good results and this was my aim to join this project. I learnt lot of things & traditions about rural life.
Good luck to all…………..

Susheel Kumar
To post his comment
Babita Soni
To post his comment

Why corrupts and goons are wining election in India?

BPL Card or Bhaiya! Public Looto Card

Sarkari filon mein gaon ka mausam gulabi hai; lekin Jumman ke ghar me aaj bhi tuti rakabi hai.

These lines from a Hindi Poem seem very true in rural India. In Government’s files all the development work is going very well and aam admi is getting all the facilities provided by Government officials. But this is not real picture of rural India. We conducted a voter awareness campaign in Sitapur, Bahraich, Lalitpur, Mirzapur and Ghazipur districts of Uttar Pradesh. During this project, we became familiar with problems of villagers.
As we experienced after 60 years of independence villagers have no other thing to think beyond Rashan, chini and mitti ka tel (public food grains, Sugar and Kerosene oil). In last assembly election in Uttar Pradesh public system was major issue in rural areas. In the view of villagers BPL card (Below Poverty Line Card) became Bhaiya! Public Looto Card (Bro! cheat the public card).
Mrs. Hafija, from Visheshwarganj block, Bahraich district, said, “In this village every family force to give 500 rupees for every BPL card”. Munna, belongs to same place said, “Member of Gram Sabha never give us BPL card even after taking bribe. Any how, if you able to get the card, still to get a Rashan is as hard as to crack a nut.” Angry with government system Munna said, “In this election this is major issue of this village, we will raise this issue in front of every candidate.”
Kashiram Yadav, belongs to Madnagra village, Ikauna block in same district, said, “This village have BPL cards very less in number. Some people got BPL card but they are not eligible. Some eligible villagers got card but getting goods is as tough as to catch the moon. We are poor and we force to buy food grains from black market.”
We found same situation in Kemichak village in Chitura block in same district. Budhna and Dhanraji from this village also agreed that in this election BPL card became major issue.
Manka from Patna village in Visheshwarganj block said, “Since 40 years, we are facing same problems, no one is helping us, not even our MLA. After winning election MLA never came in this village again and this is not first time that we are facing these situations since 40 years.”
This is real problem in villages of Uttar Pradesh and every one aware about this situation from top to bottom. This is why, Mayawati, current Chief Minister in Uttar Pradesh, ordered to officials to revise BPL card list about one week ago.

What is BPL card scheme?

BPL card scheme is for people, who are living under below poverty line. Poverty line is defined by Government of India, “People, who are earning maximum Rs 24,800 per annum.” In this scheme BPL card holders can get food grains (wheat and rice), kerosene oil and sugar in lower rate (under subsidy).
BPL cards are given after a survey and this survey done by an open meeting in every Gram Panchayat, chaired by Pradhan (village president) and Gram Vikas Adhikari (village development officer) and all the Gram Panchayat Sadasaya (village ward members). After getting list of eligible people, this list has to send in Block. After merging lists of every Gram Panchayat, survey would be completed.

Procedure of distrubution-

State Government provides subsidize rashan to district administration and from district it has to send at block. This work is monitored by Uttar Pradesh Rajya Awashayak Vastu Nigam (UP State food and Essential Communities’ Corporation) and Food & Supply Department.
At block, distribution license is given to a business person and this license holder person has to provide rashan (food grains, kerosene and sugar) to village distributor (KOTEDAR). License of distribution to Kotedar is provided by SDM. And this license holder Kotedar has to distribute rashan in village per month. One Kotedar can get license for about 10 villages (depend on population).

Loop holes in BPL card scheme?
Problems for village distributor-
Distributor has to collect rashan from block store managed by block distributor. In block store wheat is available at Rs 459 per quintal and rice at Rs 609 per quintal and kerosene oil at Rs 10 per liter. But loop hole is village distributor has to bring rashan by own vehicle and there is no procedure of reimbursement of towing cost. And village distributor can get only commission on rashan; in case of wheat this commission is Rs 6.00 per quintal, in rice they can get Rs 6.00 per quintal and after distribution one Kilogram of sugar they can get Rs 0.60 and in case of kerosene, they can earn Rs 0.60 per liter.
Along this village distributor has to spend Rs 70 for license (in case of zero corruption). In block store, there is lot of chances of corruption like less amount of wheat in packet or rice.
One village distributor, working in Isanagar block in Lakhimpur district, said, “I have to give Rs 255 per drum of kerosene to block distributor as bribe and Rs 400 in case of wheat packet. And we are getting 35-40 kilogram of wheat and rice in 55 kilogram packet.”

Problems of BPL-

Under this scheme a BPL card holder can get 10 kg of wheat, 15 kg of rice, 3 liter of kerosene oil and 3 kg of sugar per month. Villagers told us Pradhan/Gram Sabha Member was charging 500 Rs as a bribe for providing them BPL card. Along this lot of poor never got this card but some people, who have big house and huge land, gets the card.
Village distributor is selling our rashan to business person. In case of any pressure from villagers and officials village distributor force to distribute rashan but often villagers did not get rashan.

Another schemes for BLPs ?
Antyoday scheme-
Villager, who don’t have Pakka Makan (brick house)/or who has no land/or who is not a professional worker like weaver, can get Antyoday card. This list is also developed by Pradhan (village president) and Gram Vikas Adhikari (village development officer) and all the Gram Panchayat Sadasaya (village ward members). In this scheme, loop holes much bigger. Village distributor has to buy wheat and rice from block store monitored by Uttar Pradesh Rajya Awashayak Vastu Nigam (UP State food and Essential Communities’ Corporation). The subsidized rate of wheat in block store is Rs 1.94 per Kilogram and rate of rice is Rs 2.94 per Kilogram. Village distributor can sell this wheat and rice to card holders at rate of Rs 2.00 and Rs 3.00 per Kilogram. It means village distributor can earn only Rs 0.6 after selling per Kg of food grains. Along this there is no procedure of reimbursement of towing chargers. And problem of packets, having lesser weight of food grains is big hurdle for giving regular service for village distributor.

These problems are showing that corruption is a big problem but we need to revise our system also. And we need to develop very efficient monitoring process.

Is this real growth!

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of India is going all time high. In stock market sensex is creating new history everyday. Foreign reserve of country is in ever-good condition. Indian companies are now following the real locus of globalization and started acquiring foreign companies. They are setting up their plant in other countries. This is really pink picture of the Indian economy and we all hope that this would be maintained forever.
But flip side of this healthy economic condition could confuse you. Where is the growth, which has always been claimed by prime minister and the finance minister? After 60 years of independence, 26% of population is still living below the poverty line. They don't have food, shelters and employment. Most of them are hardly getting food for themselves and their families even for one time. But our economists say that India is in better condition then ever.
Those who are saying that Indian economy is in better condition and everyone will get benefit from this growth but this growth is not translating on the life of starving people. There is an appalling condition in villages. Women are going several kilometers for a pot of clean water. Besides that availability of hospital, school is very rare. If a poor person or villagers is suffering from sever health problem then he does not get prompt medical assistance but when a rich person is suffering from a mild headache he can easily go to a specialist. Rich people drink mineral water; where as poor don't even have clear water to quench their thirst. Children of poor people don't have a school; where as wards of rich go to English medium school.
On 60th Independence Day the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has announced some relief measure for socially deprived person of the society. In his speech to nation the pm said that we introduced new pension scheme, insurance policy and for the welfare of society we strengthen our education system. This is a usual speech with bunch of lucrative promise. Every time we heard about that the government is trying to do something for poor. But at the last the result has gone in vain. Day by day the gulf between riches and poor is widening. The government must look at all these factors, which could make constructive and brighter future for deprived people. The government must have to do strictly implement such policies rather than more announcements.

• Praveen Kumar Shrivastava