IMPROVING SOCIAL AUDITS
Why has this issue cropped up?
The Institutionalization of “social audits” to ensure implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) has been challenging.
Ineffective Social Audits
- Since being included in the 2005 Act at the behest of social movements, social audits have been ineffective in most parts of the country due to government indifference.
- So far, 26 States have created social audit units (SAUs), but the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG’s) detailed guidelines are yet to be implemented.
Exception
A notable exception is Andhra Pradesh (now Andhra Pradesh and Telangana). In Telangana, the SAU has organised regular social audits on NREGA since 2008.
These social audits are playing a significant role in redressing individual worker grievances though social audits are not viewed as appropriate grievance redressal platforms or effective deterrents to corruption.
Court’s Reminder
- In March 2018, the Supreme Court once again reminded us of the importance of social audits in improving government practices.
- In one of its judgments, the Court directed the Ministry of Labour and Employment, State governments and the UTs to “conduct a social audit on the implementation of the BOCW Act so that in future there is better and more effective and meaningful implementation of the Act”.
- The Supreme Court’s supportive position on social audits suggests this is a good time to take stock of the challenges to the social audit process and think through future strategies to improve the process.
Conclusion
As the social audits process in Telangana completes a decade, we have much to celebrate: uninterrupted social audits despite change in state governments, and state bifurcation. This is an opportunity to draw on the decade-long experience in Telangana and A.P. to inform the national process currently being facilitated by the CAG.
Relevance: GS 2
