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.
