Rajasthan to constitute India’s first social and performance audit authority

Activists lauded the decision and hoped that the state government will soon bring the long pending social accountability law, which mandates social audit for all schemes and redress mechanism for beneficiaries

The Rajasthan government has decided to set up a specialised social and performance audit authority to conduct social audit of schemes, a first-of-its-kind in the country. The state cabinet approved the proposal during a recent cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Ashok Gehlot.

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot. (PTI Photo)

Activists lauded the decision and hoped that the state government will soon bring the long pending social accountability law, which mandates social audit for all schemes and redress mechanism for beneficiaries.

The area of operation of the authority will be the entire state of Rajasthan, while the administrative department will be finance.

A senior official familiar with the development said the Rajasthan Social and Performance Audit Authority (RSPAA) will be an independent authority, and added, “It is to conduct work towards building and strengthening the social and performance audit mechanism in Rajasthan.”

The authority will ensure public accountability, transparency and citizen participation in implementation of government schemes, programs and services, and also conduct performance assessment of implementing agencies, he said.

“The authority will also assess the quality service delivery by the government schemes and programs. It will also perform people satisfaction surveys for ascertaining the outcome of various schemes,” he said.

The authority will plan, conduct and finalise the social audit and performance audit of the government departments, undertakings, schemes (central and state), programs, projects and activities in the state of Rajasthan to ascertain the efficiency and effectiveness of the services delivery and whether public money has been spent economically, the official said.

It will identify and build capacity of civil services organisation; provide technical assistance towards effective implementation of various schemes and programmes; provide technical assistance to finance and planning department towards strengthening of annual plans and outcome budgeting; and assess the quality standards of development and infrastructure works in rural and as well as urban areas.

Commenting on the development, social activist Nikhil Dey said this is the first time the country will have such a body. It integrates social audit with performance audit, and therefore gives a chance for concurrent audit. As it is under the finance and planning department, it also gives a chance to correct programs and schemes.

“The law of social accountability will be allowed soon, probably in the next assembly session. This authority will also work under the ambit of the law giving it a legal framework,” Dey said.