As per the case details, 100 villagers of Naroda had moved a petition in the Gujarat High Court in July 2007, under the banner of Gramin Mazdoor Sabha demanding unemployment allowance for around 90 days under the NREGA provisions.

The group had contended that in spite of officially demanding work in April 2007, the Gram Panchayat failed to provide it on April 30, 2007.

In their reply, the authorities said that work could not be done on April 30 due to the absence of labourers. Work started on May 7 after labourers turned up at the worksite, they said. After hearing the two sides, the HC ordered H N Chhibbar, Additional Commissioner, Rural Development and State Co-ordinator for NREGA, to look into the matter and pass an appropriate order. He granted unemployment allowance to only one labourer.

Chhibbar told Newsline: “After going through the claims, I held a meeting of the Gram Sabha and asked all the 100 petitioners to remain present. In the Daily Work Register of the Gram Panchayat, there were signatures of five people. Among the five, three said the signatures were not theirs and only one person (Jalu Dabhi) admitted that it was his signature. So, I passed the order to give unemployment allowance for six days to that person only.”

Himanshu Banker, general secretary of Gujarat Mazdoor Sabha, who represented the labourers before the court, said: “Dhabi has admitted that it was his signature, but he has also said the Gram Panchayat officials got it done by pressurising him. The Additional Commissioner has ignored Dabhi's statement that 99 others were also present with him on April 30, 2007 when no work was given to them by the Gram Panchayat.”

According to Banker, the 100 labourers received employment for around 10 days out of around three-and-a-half-months, after April 30, 2007. “We will challenge the order at a higher court,” he said.

Chhibbar refused to comment on Banker's questions on his order. He said: “It is their point of view and I cannot challenge it.”