The NGOs, now popularly called development sector is growing at very fast pace. With the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) factor coming into the picture through the Company Act, it may see a further growth. There has been mushrooming of community based organizations (CBOs), Civil Societies and all kinds of Non-Government organizations (NGOs) in the country.
While some corporate houses have their own institution for CSR activities, many others may be planning to open one; while some others may use the exiting NGO networks. Some NGOs may not seek corporate funding, due to their own agendas and ideological orientation. The differences in vision and mission across the development sector can lead to conflicts in policy, planning and program interventions.
Prof. Virendra Painuly’s key note address on Disaster issues in Uttarahand in a workshop, organised by SBMA and Plan India.
It will be of interest to see the shaping of the synergy between corporate and development sector in the coming years and how government policy and interventions promotes collaborations to achieve human development goals.
However, it has been presumed that the growing private and development sector is a satisfactory pay master and has a conducive working condition. This is a myth and only those at the top level and those working for the international firms and funding agencies are better paid. The majority-ninety percent of the people working force in private and development sector are very poorly paid, without much of allowances and without any job security. Moreover, the labour laws are been scuttled by commissioning and hiring of labour force and other services through manpower agencies.
No wonder that youth still want a government and public sector undertakings Job. Even in pre-independence period, people in large numbers preferred to join army, constabulary and babus in government departments. Recently 156 head constables, 288 constables joined Delhi police and the batch had 16 B.Tech, a MBA, MCA, BBA, and a B.Pharm, along with 88 graduates, hailing from all corners of the country, as reported by TOI. This scenario speaks for itself.
A general pay and privileges comparison between the government and public sector undertakings and their counterparts in Private and development sector, shows a huge gap. A peon or class four employee in government and or public sector gets a pay of twenty to thirty thousand, where in private and development sector it ranges from five to six thousands only.
A government clerk, driver, an army jawan, a constable, village level worker, school teacher, are drawing a salary of twenty five to thirty five thousand. A sales officer, manager in private sector and project officer or project coordinator in development sector is in the range of eight to twelve thousand. A section officer, administrative officer, project officer in the government department draws a salary of forty to sixty thousand per month and their counterparts like project manager, project head in development sector will be drawing fifteen to twenty five thousand.
Ninety percent of government and public sector undertakings staff get twenty five to thirty thousand per month while ninety percent of their counterparts in private and development sector get five to fifteen thousand only.
Interestingly marriage market reflects this reality, where government clerk, school teacher, constable and Jawan and others, are preferred over private sector employees- sales officers, accountants, junior executives, market and sales representatives, managers and NGO professionals.
Today many of the unemployed youth want to join the NGO sector, as they see this as an easy entry point for some employment. For some it’s a stop gap arrangement and for others a waiting room for better opportunity.
The political leadership and the bureaucratic dispensation have undermined the development sector. Bureaucrats controlling the government societies have blatantly selected and promoted individuals who are not even mediocre just to please their political bosses and in league with them have skilfully utilized project budgets.
Unfortunately, the bureaucrat is the ‘ring master’ even outside the ring. No wonder, many of the professionally qualified youth in the country don’t want to build infrastructure but want to inaugurate one.
Development sector is meant for initiating welfare interventions, charity and philanthropic work for the welfare of the under-privileged, downtrodden and the marginalized to usher in social justice and for voicing their human rights.
The author is a development consultant. Email. ghughuti@gmail.com
