Giriraj Singh to Address 2nd National Seminar on Social Audit of Rural Development Programs on September 26

Union Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Giriraj Singh, is set to deliver a keynote address at the 2nd National Seminar on "Social Audit of Rural Development Programmes" scheduled for September 26, 2023, at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi. The theme of this important seminar is "Re-imagining Social Audit with a view to bring transparency and accountability."

The seminar will also feature esteemed dignitaries including Union Minister of States for Rural Development and Steel, Faggan Singh Kulaste; Union Minister of State for Rural Development & Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti; Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj, Kapil Moreshwar Patil; Secretary of the Department of Rural Development,  Shailesh Kumar Singh; Joint Secretary (Mahatma Gandhi NREGA),  Amit Kataria, and senior officers from all the State and Union Territory governments.

The event is expected to bring together experts and officials from various states who will share their valuable experiences related to Social Audit. Director of Social Audit Units from States/UTs, along with State Resource Persons (SRP), District Resource Persons (DRP), and Block Resource Persons (BRP) of State's Social Audit Team will participate, enriching the discussions with their insights and best practices.

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (Mahatma Gandhi NREGA) empowers Gram Sabhas with the right to conduct regular social audits of all works and expenditures. This includes the establishment of independent Social Audit Units, providing complete access to all records, both online and offline, and pro-active disclosure through Wall writings. Mahatma Gandhi NREGA was the pioneering act to mandate Social Audit by the Gram Sabha for all projects undertaken in the Gram Panchayat, subsequently becoming a model for many other schemes.

To streamline the process, the Central Government, in consultation with the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (C&AG), enacted the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Audit of Schemes Rules in 2011, which laid down the methodology and principles for conducting social audits in the States/UTs. Presently, 28 States/UTs have established Social Audit units, and these units are continually encouraged to recruit and train core staff at the State, District, and Block levels.

Building upon the success of the first National Seminar held in November 2019, where Social Audit was extended to other major schemes administered by the Department of Rural Development, this upcoming seminar aims to assess the status of Social Audit implementation in the States/UTs and devise a roadmap for re-imagining Social Audit to enhance transparency and accountability. The 2nd National Seminar is organized by the Department of Rural Development and is scheduled for September 26, 2023.

The seminar promises to be a crucial platform for sharing knowledge, best practices, and innovations in the realm of Social Audit, ultimately contributing to the betterment of rural development programs across the country.