MSSAT to audit 12 schemes, submit report to state govt

SHILLONG, JULY 7: The Meghalaya Society for Social Audit and Transparency will kick off its annual Social Audit exercise for Financial Year 2026-27 from July 8, with the aim of strengthening transparency and accountability in the delivery of welfare schemes across the state.

MSSAT Director J Pyngrope said the audit process is designed to ensure that government programmes actually reach the people they are meant for and that public funds are utilized efficiently.

“The Social Audit process plays a crucial role in ensuring that the Government schemes reach their intended beneficiaries effectively and that the allocated funds for these programmes are used efficiently,” he stated.

The exercise will begin with a departmental meeting and the drawing up of the audit calendar. Teams will then move to the villages for door-to-door verification, site inspections, and institutional checks.

This will be followed by focus group discussions and Social Audit Gram Sabhas to gather feedback directly from communities.

The findings will be placed before officials at block-level Social Audit Public Hearings, where concerns raised will be addressed on the spot.

Action Taken Reports prepared after these hearings will be submitted to MSSAT, which will in turn compile and forward the Annual Social Audit Report to the state government.For the first round of the financial year, the audit will look at the implementation of 12 key schemes including MGNREGA, NSAP, Sarva Shiksha, PDS, PM Poshan, PMKSY, RDSS, the Special Livestock Production Programme, Blue Revolution, Jal Jeevan Mission, MOVCD-NER and Rainfed Area Development.

Pyngrope underlined that community involvement is central to the process.

“By promoting transparency and accountability, the Social Audit involves local communities and stakeholders in the monitoring and evaluation of these initiatives, thus fostering an environment of trust and integrity,” he said.

He added that the audits not only help track the progress of schemes but also contribute to their overall success by ensuring they deliver tangible benefits on the ground.

MSSAT has called on beneficiaries, the general public and implementing agencies to participate actively to make the exercise meaningful.

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