1. Institute of Public Auditors (www.ipaiindia.org) organized a Workshop on EMERGING CHALLENGES TO PUBLIC AUDIT IN INDIA in July 2008. This resulted in several recommendations regarding enhancing the effectiveness of public audit including following r suggestions about RTI and Social Audit:
a. "Public Audit and RTI: The workshop took note of the developments arising in the wake of the implementation of RTI Act and recognized the fact that the Act has contributed substantially to promote transparency and accountability in public administration. There is need to sensitize the staff in the IA&AD to the provisions and requirements of the RTI Act 2005."
b. "Public Audit must internalize the findings of Social Audit: In the social welfare schemes, social audit by the beneficiaries is necessary to improve the delivery system. Audit Reports and Inspection Report of IA&AD should take mote of the findings of social audit. The Social Audit in the NREGA would form a model to be followed in this regard. Since the audit by IA&AD is mostly document-based, all stake-holders would benefit significantly id the CAG's audit parties interact with the performers of social audit programmes (people's representatives) and the findings of such audit, duly verified for accuracy, could supplement and enrich the public audit reports submitted by the CAG. For this purpose CAG should identify risk-prone and vulnerable areas and schemes for detailed social audit interactions."
2. These issues were also considered in XXIV Conference of Accountants General held in October 2008. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India constituted a Task Group on Social Audit and report submitted in January 2010 is available at http://www.cag.gov.in/Social%20Audit.pdf. This is a land-mark development about the synergy between CAG's Audit and Social Audit
3. Recent Speech by Shri Vinod Rai, Comptroller and Auditor General of India on "Corruption free Governance" available at http://www.cag.gov.in/ also under-scores the importance of Social Audit. Extract from the speech is reproduced below:
"It is indeed most ironical that whilst on the one hand India is poised to be one of the most robust economies in the world and prepares to be counted as a super power, the quality of our governance has fallen to levels to which I have just drawn attention. All of you distinguished invitees today would agree with me that the issue of corruption has been addressed on the basic premise that governments are designed, interested, determined and in fact ought to be fighting it in our society. However, I place the proposition before you that time has come when we need to recognize the fact that this mindset has failed us. If we have to fight corruption we need to look elsewhere. I wish to place before you the proposition for the participation of civil society in Government programmes and how such participation is critically linked to good governance and effective delivery of Government services. I also wish to add how public oversight of such delivery channels would add value and not hinder the process of delivery. "
"In the vein of public participation I would also like to show how social audit can improve the processes of Government spending and thereby increase accountability. In this context, I advocate a major paradigm shift – a shift from the old paradigm of Government action and civil society inaction, to one wherein the ultimate stakeholder, which is civil society at large, takes on to itself, the responsibility of cleansing the quality of governance."
4. Roadmap for the Panchayati Raj (2011-16): An All India Perspective is a vision document of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, about practical problems in democratic decentralisation. (http://panchayat.nic.in/data/1299239569130~Roadmap%20-%202.3.11.pdf). This also emphasizes Social Audit at the Gram Sabha level, to establish a symbiotic relationship between social and formal audit. It is envisaged that Social Audit policies would be prepared, based on best practices available in different States and considered for their adoption by State Governments. This document contains issues for consideration, such as:
a. PRIs should become institutions of local government.
b. Benefits of ever increasing public spending, through plethora of vertical structures & schemes reach people in a good measure, and
c. Attendance & performance of grass root functionaries are improved.
5. Social Audit has an important role in improving administration at grassroot, by democratic participation of citizens. Social audit is a close corollary of energetic Gram Sabha functioning. It would inculcate respect for downward accountability amongst elected representatives and government officials. If Gram Sabha keeps a close vigil on implementation and leakages, inefficiencies can be virtually eliminated. Gram Sabha can monitor & discuss attendance of government functionaries, functioning of schools, dispensaries, aganwadi centers, ration shops and other local institutions. Gram Sabha can discuss reports of the Standing Committees of the Gram Panchayat. Gram Sabha can also go through the list of beneficiaries under schemes such as Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY), Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and National Old Pension Scheme. Gram Sabha can be an effective forum for familiarizing the electors with the provisions of RTI for eliciting information that they are unable to obtain in the normal course.
6. There are several practical and administrative issues in effective Social Audit and some of them are highlighted below:
i. What are the professional implications of the "paradigm shift", where Social Audit can supplement the audit by C&AG? What are the vital areas of public expenditure beyond the reach of C&AG audit, where Social Audit should fill the existing gap?
ii. What are the practical examples of Social Audit, based upon experiences of citizen's access to public records under RTI Act 2005? How can these success stories be replicated at larger scale?
iii. What improvements needed in quality of disclosure by each public authority under Section 4 of RTI Act 2005? How can such mandatory disclosure trigger effective public accountability and enable social audit? Can improved mandatory disclosure become a part of preventive vigilance of grass- root public authorities?
iv. There is Chapter on Social Audit in NREGA, that has triggered public participation in several states and there are well-documented cases regarding gains from Social Audit. There is need to study the practical achievements of Social Audit of NREGA to find ways of replicating it at larger scale. The problems in implementing Social Audit at ground level have also become evident and there is need for finding administration solutions to improve its effectiveness. How can the involvement of NGOs in Social Audit be promoted? Is there necessity of an institution to ensure action by concerned Government Department on the findings of Social Audit ? How can press and media help.
v. What are guidelines for audit staff of the Indian Audit and Accounts Department prescribed by C&AG about Social Audit and RTI Act? Can these be further improved, for pro-active role of IA&AD in facilitating effective implementation of Social Audit and RTI ? What efforts are needed to sensitize the audit staff in C&AG office regarding efficacy of Social Audit as an extension of audit conducted by them, to promote pro-active constructive approach ?
vi. What has been the contribution of media to generate public interest in RTI and Social Audit ? Are their concrete action plans ?
7. It is desirable to frame guidelines for Social Audit for other areas of public administration, identical to Social Audit in NREGA, available at http://nrega.nic.in/circular/So_Audit_I.pdf. Central Government should take initiatives to enable social audit by the beneficiaries of other flagship schemes with large financial outlay in current year, such as:
➢ Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (Rs 63,363 crore)
➢ Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Rs 87,844 Cr.)
➢ Targeted Public Distribution Scheme (Rs 60,573 Cr.)
➢ National Rural Health Mission (Rs 30,456 Cr.)
➢ Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (Rs 18,217 Cr.)
➢ Integrated Child Development (Rs 12,733Cr.)
➢ Mid Day Meal Scheme (Rs 10,380 crore)
➢ Converged Centrally Sponsored Schemes at Panchayat level.
8. Although RTI Act was introduced in 2005, implementation has not been satisfactory. Mounting RTI application before appellate authorities is a clear indication of bureaucratic resistance to transparency and effective public accountability. Section 4 of RTI Act requires every public authority to disclose and disseminate information needed by citizens, so that they do not have to resort to RTI applications. Disclosure of information under Section 4 by most of the Public Authorities has neither met the information needed by citizens, nor has it led to effective public accountability. Major change in record keeping was also envisaged in RTI Act, to make the records accessible to citizens. Adequate attention has not been paid to systemic reforms in record keeping. Central and State Governments have not taken initiative required of them under section 26 of RTI Act to spread knowledge of RTI Act. Unsatisfactory implementation of RTI Act is the major bottleneck in Social Audit.
9. Social Audit by citizens can be facilitated by disclosure and dissemination of relevant information under Section 4 of RTI Act, by public authorities at all levels. There is need to find solution to practical problems that hampers the effectiveness of delivery systems. There is need for restoring public confidence in institutions, systems and processes. Social Audit is a means of getting community involvement in democratic participation in governance.
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