Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 150
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 151
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
LATEST NEWS UPDATES | New MGNREGA social audit norms to make them independent by Anindo Dey

New MGNREGA social audit norms to make them independent by Anindo Dey

Share this article Share this article
published Published on Mar 26, 2011   modified Modified on Mar 26, 2011
The social audit of schemes under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee Act (MGNREGA) now permits the involvement of outsiders in the process as facilitators. A new set of rules framed by the ministry of rural development for such audits has been approved.

Christened Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee Audits of Schemes Rules 2011, the rules ensure the audit process is independent of agencies implementing the scheme and the implementing agency at no time interferes with the audit.

In Rajasthan, the social audit process had kicked up much storm in 2009 after the involvement of Rozgar Evum Suchna Ka Adhikar Abhiyan in the first such social audit in Bhilwara. Such was the extent of misappropriation detected that most sarpanches had rebelled and the process was halted by a stay from the high court. Since then, the state has been conducting special audits with government representatives.

As a first step towards independent audit, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has been granted the status of a mentor. The audit of accounts will now have to be carried out either by the director, local fund audit ( LFA) or an equivalent authority or by chartered accountants (Cas) appointed by the state government from among those empanelled with the CAG.

The CAG also has the right to issue directions and instructions to the CAs regarding the audit whose report will then be submitted to the state government. A separate Directorate of Audit of Schemes under MGNREGA will now have to be established by all state governments to facilitate audits. The directorate will act as a co-ordinator between the CAG and state accountant general (audit).

The directorate will also select resource persons from the community and other civil organizations at the district level and at the state level to train social audit processes, scrutinsing and analysising of documents, physical verification of sites or stock of materials, preparation of reports, recording of proceedings of social audit etc.

At least one audit will be held every six months by resource persons trained by the directorate along with representatives of the directorate. The rules makes provisions for an open and inclusive social audit gram sabha and is to be presided over by a person, who is not directly or indirectly, involved in implementation of the scheme under the Act, thereby halting the presiding of such meetings by the sarpanches themselves.

The audit report will then have to be posted in the local language on the notice board of the gram panchayat along with an updated action taken report. The rules puts the onus on the district programme coordinator to take immediate steps to recover embezzled money and ensure appropriate action, criminal or otherwise, against the guilty.

The rules have brought a smile on the faces of activists. "It has been a long process and the rules have been vetted by the CAG and the law ministry. Many of the correctives measures suggested have been incorporated to ensure transparency in social audit," says Nikhil Dey, an activist of the Abhiyan.

The Times of India, 26 March, 2011, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/New-MGNREGA-social-audit-norms-to-make-them-independent/articleshow/7789407.cms


Related Articles

 

Write Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Video Archives

Archives

share on Facebook
Twitter
RSS
Feedback
Read Later

Contact Form

Please enter security code
      Close