Adhering To Principles

Compliant mechanism was introduced by CASA with a very clear understanding that communities’ ownership over the process of recovery will have to be enhanced. A complaint box gives a second chance to the people to express their grievances and vulnerability to CASA and committee members, that further become reasons to be included in the cash transfer program.

Missed at first, included at last

For 53-year-old Sudha, it was when she returned to her village after spending four months at her relatives’ house that she came to know about unconditional cash transfer doing the rounds in her Ramankerry village.

“For whole one month my house was filled with flood water. We had to leave the house as early as possible. Being closer to the paddy areas, my house was affected the most and inundated for a longer time. For all I knew, I considered myself the most deserving beneficiary,” said Sudha in her desperate claim. Desperate to safeguard her family from the next spell of heavy rains, she “needed cash” to purchase material to level ground and strengthen the foundation of her house.

“This is a kind of program which most NGOs do not come up with, and getting cash support without any obligatory conditions was a huge benefit for me because I could use it to repair my house and level the ground, which was always one among my urgent requirements,” she said.

Sudha approached the village committee who in turn explained her about the complaint mechanism process.

“I wrote a letter to CASA and days later they visited and surveyed my house. They asked me questions like whether am I or not an active participant in village development decisions, what is my family’s livelihood source, if my husband is out of job for the time being, and what do I plan to do with the cash transfer.” One month later, Sudha received the grant with which she initiated ground levelling and foundation work of her house.