Jammu and Kashmir government today said the directorate of social audit is fully functional and will soon start auditing not only MGNREGA but other centrally sponsored schemes (CSS) as well
Post reorganization of J&K, there are 20 districts and 4291 panchayats in the union territory. However, the presence of social audit as of today is in 13 districts— Kishtwar, Shopian, Doda, Bandipora, Kathua, Ganderbal, Srinagar, Samba, Budgam, Reasi, Baramulla, and Anantnag.
For the rest of the districts, the recruitment process has started and the team will be in place soon. In 2019-20, JKSAU had planned for 1344 GPs to be audited at least once a year. It has audited 788 GPs.
Similarly, during FY 2020-21, 1873 GPs had been planned to be audited. Of which 1161 GPs have been audited. In FY 2021-22, the Social Audit of all the planned GPs has been completed and uploaded on MIS.
Unfortunately, due to the outbreak of the COVID 19 pandemic, the number of audited GPs remained slightly lesser than the planned ones. However, the matter has already been taken up with MoRD and this data will be uploaded soon with the permission of MoRD.
The government said the social audit is a democratic process that ensures public accountability of agencies through a systematic demand for information by the community.
Within its ambit, it covers issues of quality of implementation of the program along with an audit of expenses and decisions. It is an empowering process for the people to participate in the process of planning and implementation of works and make the implementing agency accountable for the same. Thus, it ensures participation, helps maintain transparency, and culminates in accountability. In a social audit, the people and the Government jointly monitor the project.
“Keeping in view the significance of independent social audits, the Government of J&K established the Social Audit Unit, Department of Rural Development and PR, for smooth conduct of a social audit of MGNREGA and other flagship programs,” the government said.