The Congress government in Rajasthan has initiated action to bring the concurrent social audits of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act’s (MGNREGA) works at village panchayats in line with the annual village plans. A target has been set to complete the exercise by January 26.
Chief Secretary Niranjan Arya said here on Wednesday that socially excluded groups would be included in the planning process, with the emphasis on assets created by the MGNREGA works becoming functional. The social audits would be conducted in a “transparent and accountable” manner, he said.
Mr. Arya said the social audits would facilitate better coordination among officials, panchayat functionaries and elected representatives for the implementation of schemes of the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Departments.
A summary of the social audits will also be tabled in the next session of the State Assembly. The State government had formed the Society for Social Audit, Accountability and Transparency (SSAAT) last year for carrying out social audit work independently. Its members include representatives of civil society.
The summary report is likely to include the status of delivery of entitlements and provisions under the MGNREGA, such as job cards, works, work site facilities and wage payments. The annual report for 2019-20 was approved at a meeting of SSAAT, attended by the Additional Chief Secretary (Rural Development) Rohit Kumar Singh.
