New India Manifesto –  Chapter 14: Employment Agriculture Community Integration Centre

Introduction

Employment Agriculture Community Integration Centre aims to facilitate various government projects to reach the ground level. It is also aimed at providing new services that are never provided till now to the public. EAC Integration Centre or simply referred to as EAC centre is the highest level of decentralisation in any nation globally.

Local Body vs EAC

EAC Integration Centre is not a replacement for local bodies such as panchayats. The current political system in India can only identify a few issues in our society due to limited decentralisation and the low quality of the decentralised system. A single panchayat in India has to deal with more than 50,000 people, and most of them are not beneficial in supporting fundamental areas such as healthcare, education and employment as they are not generating enough revenue, and there is corruption in fund management. The least educated politicians with partisan mindsets and without a vision cannot pave a path to the future.

Local bodies such as panchayats are elected bodies with decision-making powers, which are not available for EAC as it is not an elected body. EAC integration centres are implementation agencies and data collection agencies of the task assigned to them by state and central government. The speed of implementation and the depth of decentralisation matters in EAC. Any decision taken by the government can be implemented instantly nationwide. EAC serves the migrant population, non-voters, tenants and residents of a locality. Local bodies serve for the benefit of resident voters alone and are not concerned about the rest of the people living in the panchayat. Even if tenants pay taxes and fines, they are not beneficiaries of any scheme. EAC introduces a structure that benefits everyone around that EAC, and the voter list and politics of the region are irrelevant. Caste, religion and ethnicity cannot influence EAC, whereas local bodies such as panchayats are divided based on these issues.

Three Pillars of EAC

The three pillars EAC Integration Centre are

1. Employment
2. Agriculture
3. Community

1. Employment Integration

The national employment system is a virtual technology, and the EAC integration centre is one of the implementation agencies. Implementing a national employment system requires extensive infrastructure and should have access to every single Indian living in each nook and corner of the nation. EAC integration centre is the way of achieving 100 per cent employment in India. EAC will be the provider and facilitator of jobs. EAC will help to identify who is unemployed and why they are unemployed. So based on the data collected regularly via EAC, the government can initiate measures to solve unemployment and ensure that every Indian interested in joining the workforce is provided with an opportunity to reskill or is provided a job via the national employment system. EAC will ensure that the payroll system of every single business establishment within its limit is digitised and can be tracked by the government.

2. Agriculture Integration

All the governments to date are unable to assist farmers in a way in which they can make an adequate income. The low value of crops is directly related to the low wages of farm labourers. The schemes such as PMKISAN and interest subvention are only small-term temporary benefits. The high value of farm crops and products is what is wanted to save farmers. EAC Integration Centre can achieve this for farmers’ and farm labourers’ welfare.

3. Community Integration

Social welfare measures such as food distribution and national harmony can be ensured via community integration. EAC is a connecting point of people from different castes, religions and ethnicities. All services are provided without any discrimination to the whole 140 crore population. The people working at EAC centres will be permanently connected with the residents in the region, and there will be no employee transfer from one place to another. If any EAC members engage in discrimination, their jobs will be terminated and replaced by a person who follows the code of conduct and laws of the land. EAC centres are connected with social workers, shelters, local bodies, law enforcement agencies and all other state institutions.

Implementation of EAC Integration Centres

5 Lakh EAC centres should be built all over India with a 50 lakh minimum investment per EAC centre. The total investment expenditure for structure and facilities will be 2.5 lakh crore rupees all over India. An additional 1.5 lakh crore will be required for purchasing lands.

Minimum facilities of EAC Integration Centres

• Two-storey building with floodproof construction. In flood zones, a mix of stilt architecture can be used.
• Two hundred fifty square feet rooms * 4 = 1000 square feet building. 2 rooms on the ground floor and two rooms on the first floor.
• Warehouse and transfer facility
• Minimum 30 cents of land in the urban area and 1 acre in the rural area.

1. Room 1, First Floor, 250 square feet

Virtual classroom and mini-exam centre with computers and CCTV monitoring. Such a facility is essential to spread digital literacy and increase the educational upliftment of the poor. These facilities can be used to reskill existing degree holders also.

2. Room 2, First Floor, 250 square feet

Section 1

Power facility that can last up to one week for the whole facility with invertors and battery.

Section 2

Office space of EAC centres where official documents are kept and public data is processed digitally. Satellite phone and satellite internet facilities will be added to the EAC.

3. Room 3. Ground Floor, 250 square feet

Food Bank Distribution Centre of EAC centre. This place can also be a mini-meeting centre for the ward councillor or panchayat member of that place.

4. Room 4. Ground Floor, 250 square feet

Section 1

Tools like grass cutters and all other mini tools required for various works can be stored at this facility. Fire and safety equipment, emergency health kit and similar items will also be available here.

Section 2

This place will also work as an ATM centre with CDM.

5. Warehouse facility

1. A four hundred square feet warehouse will be built on the ground floor for stocking and transferring farm produce. A mini cold and warm storage facility will be available inside the warehouse.
2. Eight hundred square feet of metal sheet roofing structure that is rainproof on the ground floor for vehicles entering and exiting the facility. Farmers will drop their items here, and the packaging is done at this place.

Warehouse facilities are needed mainly in places where agricultural produce is handled. In cities, 800 square feet roofing structures can be avoided. In flood zones, alterations can be made accordingly.

CCTV Monitored Facility

The whole facility should be under 24X7 CCTV monitoring with live feed available to the government.

Mechanised Facility

Material loading and unloading should be done using motorised machineries such as forklift machines to reduce physical effort. Packing and weighing machines and materials should also be available at this facility.

Territory Demarcation

The road and water body logic will not be applied in demarcating the boundary of the EAC centre. It means that two panchayats may fall under the same EAC centre, and areas of two wards may fall under one EAC. Two neighbours divided by a road cannot be added to two different EAC based on panchayat, which is why that logic is not applied. The distance of each house from EAC is the parameter used in creating the boundary of EAC. The land and building accounting system will demarcate the boundary of each EAC digitally. LBAS will decide which all residents will come under a particular EAC, and the convenience of the public will be thoroughly enquired.

Funding

The facilities constructed are a one-time investment. A budgetary allocation of 4 lakh crore is required for land and building.

Hundreds of existing schemes will be removed to facilitate EAC centres’ functioning, and there will be massive fund diversion towards EAC. For example, the government can divert thousands of crores allocated for census and surveys to EAC as they can be used for data collection. Different existing schemes can be converted and merged to allocate funds for EAC centres.

Prime location method of revenue generation

70,000 crore per annum will be required for operational expenses of EAC centres, especially payment of salaries. In 10 years, 8 lakh crores+ rupees will be needed to run EAC centres. This amount can be created using the prime location method.

When an EAC centre is established, it becomes one of the most visited places in the region. This, in turn, creates value for areas surrounding the EAC centre. When land is acquired for building EAC centres, extra cents will be acquired. If only 10 cents of land are required for the EAC centre, the total acquisition will be higher than that, such as 40 cents or 1 acre.

A website will be developed where people and private companies can purchase structures which will be delivered one year after purchase. For example, a private company want thirty-one 300 square feet buildings in each district in Karnataka for starting branches of a consulting company. They can mention the urban area in which they need the structure. The government will already fix the value of buildings, and government can make profits from building and transferring ownership of those buildings.

In rural areas, the EAC centres will become a prime spot which will increase the value of that area. People living nearby will be interested in buying a building near EAC. In a rural area, an EAC centre covering 1 acre will become a mini-urbanised region with many structures coming up. Government can continuously make revenue from selling these structures. Since payment is made initially towards the government, they have no risk in this investment. Year after year, the value of the properties will rise, and the government can collect more money by building the structures. The structure size will be based on the requirement of the buyer.

A 1-acre EAC centre built at 50 lakh cost and land bought at 30 lakh per acre in a rural area can make more than five crores by selling the structures built nearby the EAC centre in different years.

5 Lakh EACs in India can generate thousands of crores annually by selling the structures built nearby EAC centres. The amount collected in this way can fund EAC centres for at least ten years.

Only constructed buildings will be sold, and land alone will not be sold. A website will be created for the public to make this advance payment-based purchase.

Working Time of EAC

Every EAC Integration Centre will open at 6 am and close at 10 pm.

Employees of EAC

Employees of EAC do not belong to central or state government. A company similar to the private sector with an annual renewable contractual employment system will be developed exclusively for EAC centres. People who run common service centres can be hired as they have a closer relationship with the public.

There will be a minimum of two employees at EAC centres. In the case of a rural EAC where farm produces are handled daily, an additional workforce will be required.

12 lakhs+ individuals can be directly employed at EAC centres all over India. The salary structure will vary based on the workload of each EAC.

Most employees of EAC will be experts in using gadgets and IT technologies and will have people skills. Rude, arrogant and unforgiving people are not fit for this job.

Employees should not directly engage in political party activities and entirely refrain from engaging in biased partisan activities.

Removal of EAC staff

Suppose 80 per cent of residents of the EAC centre submit a removal request, then the official can be removed from the EAC centre. Caste and religion cannot be the reason, and applying that reason, if proven, will result in filing a reverse case against residents for discrimination.

There is no transfer of employees applicable in EAC, and if a person moves away to another place, they have to resign.

Multiple Logins

EAC Centres have access to different websites and have multiple logins. Their role and responsibility are clearly mentioned, and they must follow provided guidelines.

Authority over EAC

The state government will have direct authority over EAC. The central government will provide IT support for all the services delivered via EAC centres. The central government will work as the coordinator of all states.

Reservation Revamp

As part of the reservation revamps, it is essential to ensure that SC/ST communities reach the same level as other communities. EAC centre should organise special classes for them at local schools or other safest places with CCTV supervision. EAC centres should also arrange transportation for them.

Learn the details of every resident and create a professional connection with every resident without crossing boundaries.

EAC centre should personally know every resident, whether a temporary or permanent resident of a locality. Learning these details is the first job of EAC officials. There is no transfer of EAC members from one place to another. If the work of an EAC member is unsatisfactory, the person will be terminated and replaced by another person.

Organise Events

Local bodies can organise events and use EAC centres to amass public support.

Open Access Education Support System 

EAC centres can work as the connecting point for distance education. Computer labs with CCTV supervision can be used for online assignment submissions and minor tests.

Foodbank

EAC Centre is the distributing point of the National Food Bank of India.

Krishi Bhavan – EAC Integration

Various states’ Krishi Bhavans and agricultural departments can directly influence farmers in every household via EAC centres. Pesticide limiting, chemical fertiliser limiting, and similar actions can be promoted via EAC centres. Farm produce can be tested easily at labs to ensure pesticides are used only at permissible limits by associating with inspection authorities. The exact area of each crop can be studied, and diversification of farming can be quickly promoted via EAC centres.

The land and building accounting system can be used to find out unused land, and the government in future can ban people from keeping land unused. EAC can assist in ensuring that all lands are fully utilised by providing labour via the national employment system and also help in finding contract farmers for that unused land.

Volunteering Work Coordination Centre

NSS, NCC, and NGOs can coordinate with EAC centres in providing volunteering work. EAC centre will work as a volunteering work allocation centre. EAC centres are integrated with schools and colleges. Free public volunteering is also available.

Different types of waste lands can be converted into Miyawaki forests by regularly watering plants. Such activities, which include planting and watering, require regular labour, and if volunteering agencies are handed over the work, it can be freely done.

EAC centres can monitor volunteering activities to ensure that they are correctly done. In case of agency failure, EAC centres can reallocate the work to another agency if required. EAC centres will also have the power to distribute certificates to agencies and individuals after the completion of volunteering work.

The government will develop a separate website to track volunteering activity with images and a video uploading facility. The website will also have a certificate generation tool accessible only to EAC officials.

Local bodies will have access to this website and can request public support in case of disaster or for any other purpose. Local bodies can use volunteering support from the public for their activities.

ATMs and Banking

People travel long distances to take meagre amounts from ATMs in rural India. EAC centres can facilitate as ATMs for people. People can also make mini deposits and withdraw at this place to ensure that banking countermovement is easy. Countermovement bank employees will visit the EAC centres regularly.

EAC Advertisement

A large screen will be placed in front of every EAC centre, which will be used as an ad board. All small businesses within the limit of EAC can provide their ad content which will be aired for free forever. The time slots will be rotated using software that will add all the ad content. All small businesses and services provided by people in the region, from salons to handicrafts made at home, can be promoted. The local economy is encouraged by this mode of advertisement. All businesses outside the area of EAC will only be promoted via advertising for a fee. External companies can pay for ads via national-level advertisement regulatory websites to advertise in EAC centres.

The businesses within the EAC territory can also use free pamphlet distribution via EAC centres. If businesses from other regions want to promote via pamphlets, they need to pay a fee.

Domestic Animal’s Data Collection

The public should compulsorily provide the government details of all domestic animals at home. It is to reduce stray animals from the public domain. All pets’ birth and death will be registered.

EAC facilitates panchayats with a data handling website that processes domestic animal data and can be easily retrieved whenever required. Data collection will use images of animals, thereby can trace if owners purposefully abandon dogs or other domestic animals. EAC centres can assist in digitisation.

Data Collection of Material and Non-material Changes

EAC number can help the government to find many material details such as

• Kutcha and pucca houses
• Modern or old wiring
• The drainage system of houses
• Painting of houses
• Finished houses or unfinished houses
• Fridge, washing machine and availability of such home appliances in each family.
• Availability of vehicles
• Internet wired connectivity and smartphone usage

So, by collecting such data, the government can act as a catalyst for change in every household in India. Government can get data on underdeveloped regions that require a boost from the government.

EAC can also collect individual details and details of social issues

• Number of older adults in a family
• Disabled members of a family
• Individuals who require regular hospitalisation
• Drug addicts and alcoholics
• Working population
• Student population
• Happiness index

The collected details can be used to assist them in overcoming their personal challenges and issues.

Price Manipulation

Nationwide EAC centres can ensure that market prices of farm produce can be manipulated according to the government’s will. Intentional manipulation is an intervention method intended not to reduce prices but only to increase prices in favour of farmers.

EAC Centres will have a presence all over India and can control the total supply of a commodity. For example, the number of salt farmers can be accurately accounted in different states. The total supply to factories can be stopped, and the supply can be reset at a newer price using officials from EAC centres. Salt all over India can be collected by factories only from trucks operated by EAC centres and not directly from farmers. It will help stop the exploitation of salt farmers, increase salt prices all over India, and benefit farmers.

Mini Tool Depo

EAC centres will have a mini tool depo necessary for smaller works. The inventory will be maintained and checked by an external agency.

Data Collection from Businesses

All employment, including WFH, part-time and full-time vacancies, will be reported to the nearest EAC centres by business establishments.

NPEGS and FPIS 

NPEGS and FPIS are two models developed to promote India’s agriculture sector and employment market via EAC Integration Centres.

National Public Employment Generation System – NPEGS

NPEGS is a replacement for MGNREGA. Employment generation via the private and public sectors will remove many people dependent on MGNREGA. The farmer produces price increases will make many people shift towards farming instead of MGNREGA jobs. However, to ensure that jobs are available 365 days a year for any interested individual, NPEGS is a necessity.

All significant works already covered under MGNREGA should be classified into two categories. This classification is to understand the annual job creation in NPEGS and to prevent corruption from fake works.

• Annual recurring work – For example, cleaning drainage before the rainy season every year.
• One-time works

NPEGS Website

Territories of each EAC will be demarcated via the map on the website.

Public works that must be completed will be uploaded as images and videos with geolocation details to the website. The public can directly request a work that EAC officials will take up and send for approval. Local bodies can also directly request for approval of various works.

A state-level board will be developed in each state. They will verify the work request and will approve the work to NPEGS. The approved work will be classified as a crew, single-person, or open job.

Types of work via NPEGS

All these works will use the first come, first serve method. All details of the work will be accessible to the public, thereby ensuring accountability.

Crew job: A job will be released providing details via NES and NPEGS websites. A local counsellor can ensure that the job is done according to the law and in the best quality.

Single-person job: Small canal and roadside works requiring only one person are single-person jobs. Details of the job are also released via NPEGS and NES.

Open jobs: Under the guidance of elected local body members, open jobs are granted. Cleaning an area of a river is an open job.

After the work is completed, the completed images and videos will be uploaded. The before and after data will be publicly available, ensuring that siphoning funds is nearly impossible.

The employment can also be hourly, daily, monthly or annual contract jobs and can be renewed. There is no restriction of age or gender for jobs as long as they have the ability and skill to perform the job. The same individual can perform more than one job and be part of more than one contract simultaneously. It is a system in which job opportunities will outnumber the number of individuals willing to be employed. There is no permanent lifetime employment for jobs in this category.

All the EAC will be connected via NES and NPEGS, and people can easily find employment within the 40 km range of their homes. Students can take crew jobs and do them as part-time gigs by hiring equipment’s from hiring centres.

The rates of various jobs will be based on the average of that region. The rate will be slightly lesser than the average of the area.

NPEGS mainly fills the gap created during the unavailability of work for farm labourers and construction workers.

But other than a temporary fix, this should not be people’s primary income source. This system is mainly aimed at creating an organised gig economy. Whenever there are massive layoffs and unemployment crises, NPEGS can assist in fund infusion into society.

Farm Produce Intermediary System – FPIS

Every EAC centre will be equipped to pack and process farm products to deliver to buyers such as shopkeepers, B2C customers and the food industry. The government bears the cost of packing materials. No farm product should be legally allowed to be purchased directly from farms outside of the GST framework. People selling directly from farms should pay a 1% flat GST on all products sold via their farm outlets.

The benefit of EAC centre packing these items is that even small quantities, such as 1 kg orange, can be sold by farmers. When farms produce certain things in small amounts, they distribute them to their friends and relatives instead of taking them to markets. Now they will also have a mechanism to cash out such items in small quantities.

EAC centre is not purchasing the items and is only an intermediary in the FPIS system. I will quote an example of the functioning of FPIS.

Step 1

51 kg onion is produced by Farmer A of Maharashtra. Instead of going to Mandi, the farmer will only visit the EAC centre that is 100 meters from the farmer’s home. The EAC centre will sort the onions, and rotten onions will be segregated. Now 50 kg of onion is ready to sell.

The FPIS software will provide the farmer’s average market rate of onion. Farmer can quote their rate or can quote the average rate. FPIS software shows the average market rate is 20 rupees per kg. The farmer has placed his price as 22 rupees per kg.

Now the farmer will leave the place.

Step 2

EAC centre will box the onions into four boxes; the total weight, including the package, is 52 kg. The photo of the onions and box packed will be uploaded online in the FPIS software. A shop within 15 km range of the EAC centre has bid for 20 rupees per kg. It is time-based bidding. Business people entering the bid can place a time limit with a minimum of 2 hours as starting time. So once the bid is placed, the farmer has to accept or reject the offer. Farmers can themselves log in and check their lot online through FPIS software. EAC will inform them about the bid amount if they do not know how to do it. If the farmer accepts the bid amount, then businessmen must pay.

In case the bidder bids the asking price of a farmer, then even without confirming it with the farmer, the sale will be completed, and the amount will be transferred by to the bidder. Only in case the price is lesser are the details communicated with the farmer by EAC to determine whether the farmer is willing to sell at a lower price.

FPIS will only hold payment until delivery time to the businessmen. Once EAC ships the item and it is delivered, the order is marked complete, and EAC will transfer the amount to the farmer. The shipping courier costs will be free for the 10 km range of an EAC centre.

The most significant benefit of this method is that vegetables and fruits can be transported across states quickly, and bidders can bid from any state. The only point is that the businessmen have to prepay to get delivery of products. This method makes it easy to find a buyer as the market is nationwide for an item.

Everything on a farm, from seeds to plants, can be sold by farmers easily via this method, as smaller quantities are also accepted.

Combining Centres

When the quantity is too low, it may be challenging to find a buyer. So the farmer will be conveyed this matter, and EAC will get the right to adjust the price, which will be the average or nearby average prices. In the case of smaller quantities, if there are no buyers within a few hours after uploading the item, it will be brought to the combining centres.

One district will have one or two combining centres where these items are brought together and made into a more significant quantity by combining them. Once the combined items are sold, the money will be split and transferred to the accounts of beneficiaries.

Split Lot System

If the farmer is not getting sales in bulk quantity of their produce, then the EAC centre can split the quantity into different lots. 100 kg farm produce will be divided into ten lots at the EAC centre, and the payment after the sale will also be separate according to the sale. The price may also vary according to each lot.

Safety Handling Mechanisms

All items will require different types of handling. Some items are delicate and require sponges or other items to ensure they are not damaged. Some items need to be airtight, like spices. FPIS system will teach EAC centres how to handle each item accordingly.

Every EAC centre will be equipped with parking, loading and unloading facilities. Each EAC centre will have packaging items required for safely packing and sending them. The government will bear the cost of these packing materials.

Video Explanation and Long Description Listing

Certain products are premium types that require additional support to find buyers. People prefer certain items from particular soil types or areas and can fetch higher amounts based on that information. So, such items will have video explanation listings and long descriptions in the local language and English.

Bidders and buyers also can share additional feedback after the purchase, which can help certain farmers be classified as elite in a particular category.

Warehouses

Farmers have the right to get a fair price for their produce. But only sometimes they can get the desired price. If the farmer is ready to wait for a few days or months to get the higher rate of that product, the product can be moved to the warehouse at minimal expense.

The warehouse within EAC will only hold items for up to one week, then they will be moved to larger warehouses. There will be no charges when it is kept in the EAC warehouse, and the costs are applied only when transferred to a giant warehouse.

FPIS Website Bidding Price

The bidding price will be visible only to EAC centres and farmers, and the bidders cannot see the bidding price of fellow bidders. They can only see the expected price quoted by the farmer, the average market price of the day, the highest selling price of the day, and a state-wise comparison of the prices of that item. It is to ensure that farmers are placed in an advantageous position.

Reduce Intermediaries Who Manipulate Farmers and Markets.

The current model of intermediaries will become irrelevant when all items are sold via EAC as intermediaries. Currently, the same thing has multiple intermediaries and is reduced to a handful of intermediaries under the FPIS system.

FPIS Website

• FPIS website will have multiple login systems. There will be farmer login, EAC centre login, and buyer logins.
• The website will be set in a way to automatically display the district average price, state average and national average of farm produce.
• FPIS website will also have a tracking system to ensure the buyer easily tracks all parcels and couriers.

Transaction GST

One per cent transaction GST will apply to all farm produce, including poultry, dairy and fish items. Items such as chickens are directly delivered to shops by farm owners every day based on demand. Once the FPIS system is implemented, the government will ensure that all buyers pay a 1% transaction tax. Vegetable shops cannot directly purchase from farmers without paying transaction GST.

Transportation Expense

After the 10 km range, the buyer bears the courier cost. The average cost of farm produce will have two variants. One will include the price of the product after including transportation expenses. The other is the price, excluding the transportation cost. There will be a price comparison option for each item for the buyer. For example, if a buyer in Kerala wants 100 kg capsicum from Maharashtra, they can instantly check the price, including delivery charges, to the pin code provided. So interstate transfers will be made smoother and faster all over India. The freshness of each item can also be ensured in this process as farmers are directly selling via EAC centres.

No Consumer Purchase Model

The website will not have a vegetable shop-like purchase system in which different vegetables can be selected per kg. It ensures that brick-and-mortar shops are making profits and consumers are not using platforms to purchase small quantities directly. This platform will work as a B2B platform and bulk purchase point.

All businesses registering to purchase items via FPIS should buy for a cart amount of at least 25,000 rupees per month and be GST holders.

Farmers Only

Business people cannot buy and resell via EAC centres. The list of all farmers within the EAC limit is available to that particular EAC, and it is challenging to cheat the system. The EAC works for farmers’ welfare, providing many benefits, such as free packaging. If business people abuse this system by reselling, it affects the farmers, and such abuse will be severely dealt with. If caught cheating the system, people will be permanently banned from using the platform. Since every trader and farmer is linked via the Aadhar number, it is easy to find cheating by a particular person.

Business people can buy and resell it to any shop or other external platforms but cannot use the FPIS system.

India Post – FPIS

India Post will be integrated with EAC centres to ensure interconnectivity of the agricultural produce transportation system. India Post website will be used to create a tracking system of parcel items.

Special Note: This is the fourteenth chapter of the book New India Manifesto by Blessen T. Sam. The concepts introduced in this book are unique, and referencing the book and the author is appreciated. Support the hard work of the author to modernise India by purchasing a print copy of the book from Amazon or Flipkart.