Social Audit as an Accountability Mechanism
Social audits are a form of participatory accountability where communities directly examine official records, bills, and muster rolls to detect fraud, ghost workers, and inflated expenditure. MGNREGA institutionalised social audits under Section 17 of the Act, requiring Gram Sabhas to audit all works at least once every six months. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and civil society organisations like the Society for Social Audit, Accountability and Transparency (SSAAT) in Telangana have demonstrated its effectiveness. The VB-G RAM G Act retains and strengthens this mechanism, mandating biannual social audits supported by real-time dashboards, GPS-based work monitoring, and AI-enabled anomaly detection.
- Social audits are distinct from financial audits: they are citizen-led, conducted in public forums (Jan Sunwais), and examine both financial and non-financial outputs.
- The Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) pioneered social audits in Rajasthan in the 1990s, which directly influenced the MGNREGA's design.
- Parliament's Standing Committee had flagged weak social audit implementation in several states under MGNREGA.
- VB-G RAM G adds GPS monitoring, mobile dashboards, and weekly public disclosure — moving from periodic to continuous accountability.
● Tracked since May 11, 2026 · last seen May 11, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes