Power Asymmetries: Operationalising Accountability In Mgnrega Through The Lens Of Samaj Parivartan Shakti Sangathan

Abstract

Accountability initiatives around the world are largely centered on a linear equation between access to information and transparency. However, the reality on ground is rather un-linear as the effectiveness of initiatives often depends on the (in)formal power asymmetries they are co-opted by. Tired of persistent corruption at the helm of implementing agencies and elected representatives, one informal collective in Muzzafarpur, Bihar - Samaj Parivartan Shakti Sangathan, decided to operationalise accountability in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act through an understanding of power asymmetries. Through extensive fieldwork, this study critically examines the impact of their operationalisation on MGNREGA and power-relations. It concludes that their approach is successful in enhancing programme implementation and generating sustainable accountability mechanisms.