Kidambi Aakella 2007 (Challenging Corruption With Social Audits)

8/7/2019 Kidambi Aakella 2007 (Challenging Corruption With Social Audits)

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Economic and Political Weekly February 3, 2007 345

Commentary

KARUNA VAKATI AAKELLA,SOWMYA KIDAMBI

It is better to throw the money into a

drain than to put it in the NationalRural Employment Guarantee

Scheme, one of the countrys betterknown economists proclaimed when thedebate for the National Rural Employ-ment Guarantee Act (NREGA) was atits peak. His comment needed no expla-nation; many of the opponents of theNREGA bill and indeed, much of thepublic voiced concern that the schemewould simply add to the corruption thatinfects most of the development schemesin this country.

But in the face of these grim predictions,an unanticipated tool has provided a rea-son for hope. Social audit a transparent,participatory, active evaluative process is attacking the corruption that plaguesmost anti-poverty missions and is begin-ning to change the rural landscape inAndhra Pradesh, especially in the contextof the Andhra Pradesh Rural EmploymentGuarantee Scheme (APREGS).

Taking its inspiration from the pio-neering work done by the Mazdoor KisanShakti Sangathan in Rajasthan, AndhraPradesh has moulded the process to suit

its local needs and circumstances. Also,the fact that section 17 of the NREGAmandates social audit to be conducted ona continuous basis to monitor the scheme;and that there are clear instructions forthe same in the guidelines issued by gov-ernment of India pointing out the variousaspects of the scheme on which socialaudit has to be conducted has been of greatsignificance in preparing the ground forthe process.

The resultant social audit process prom-ises to save the NREGA from the regular

problems that afflict the implementationof a scheme.

Social Audit Process

Experience of the social audits ofAPREGS is significant as it comes againsta backdrop of a well-designed deliverysystem. A committed top-level bureau-cracy has undertaken several initiatives toaddress corruption and leakages. An end-to-end information technology (IT) appli-cation ensures that job cards are issued andwork estimates, pay orders, and docu-ments such as measurement and materialrequirement sheets are generated in themandal computer centres. A revised sched-ule of rates ensuring a minimum wage ofRs 80 has also been issued based on timeand motion studies. The wage paymentsof the labourers are directly credited totheir post office or bank accounts, whichhave been made mandatory. A separatestream of functionaries have been recruitedexclusively for the implementation of theprogramme such as a field assistant pergram panchayat, three technical assistantsand two computer operators per mandal.To date, 59 lakh job cards have been issuedand 13 lakh workers have earned wagesamounting to Rs 170 crore. The admin-

istrative measures have ensured that con-tractors and middlemen are more or lessout of the picture a first in the historyof civil works in Andhra Pradesh.

The social audit process in AndhraPradesh was initiated in February 2006,under the Reform Action Plan of thedepartment of rural development with thetraining of 35 state resource persons identi-fied from different civil society organisations(CSOs), non-government organisations(NGOs) and unions. As part of the training,pilot social audits were conducted on

12 civil works carried out under thenational food for work programme. Theinsights gained from the pilot social auditswere significant enough for the senior

officials who were at that point of timeoperationalising the APREGS, to see thetremendous potential of the process bothas a monitoring and evaluation tool andas a means of uncovering and addressingthe leakages within the system. A tool kitwas designed for conducting social auditsof the APREGS, following which the actualsocial audits began in July 2006.

Social audits have thus far been con-ducted on the APREGS works in AndhraPradesh in approximately 3,000 habita-tions across nine districts. In another two

months, the social audit process will coverall the 13 initial phase APREGS districts.The state government initiated the socialaudit process, teaming up with civil so-ciety groups and organisations. The actualaudits however, are being conductedlargely by literate village residents whobelong to the beneficiary families and havebeen trained in the social audit process.A trained pool of state and district re-source persons facilitate the process.

One of the most positive developmentsemerging from the social audits is thecreation of new partnerships between thegovernment and civil society organisations,benefiting all parties. The latter participatein the conduct of social audits on a vol-untary basis. Officials at the state anddistrict levels take the responsibility forensuring access to official records, train-ing in social audits, and commit to takingcorrective action on the issues arising outof the audits. Together, the governmentand civil society participants all have theopportunity to see their efforts create real,positive change for the people they serve.

In Ananthapur district, a mass social

audit was conducted in the first week ofSeptember 2006. A record 31 CSOs setaside their individual differences to joina single platform to work with the govern-ment. Over a one-week period and on anentirely voluntary basis, 1,500 volunteersconducted social audits in 600 grampanchayats. Following this, in Vijianagaramdistrict, 20 tribal organisations have cometogether to conduct social audits and re-quested for training to be conducted.

Starting with applying for official recordsunder the Right to Information (RTI) Act

Challenging Corruption

with Social AuditsSocial audit a transparent, participatory and active evaluatoryprocess has the potential to attack the corruption that plaguesanti-poverty programmes. A report from Andhra Pradesh on theuse of the audit in the employment guarantee scheme.


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Economic and Political Weekly February 3, 2007346

pertaining to the mandal (panchayat samiti)where the social audit is to be conducted,the process exposes the various steps andprocedures of the scheme to public scru-tiny. The reaction from the villagers to theprocess and the ultimate impact demon-strate the enormous potential that lies in thesocial audit process. This is something thatwas earlier beyond the comprehension of

both the officials and the public. The ruralpoor had no idea that they could apply forinformation pertaining to works under-taken in their villages and actually scru-tinise the details of records. Similarly, theadministration had no idea that theywould have to be accountable to the peoplewhom they served and not just opposedto the higher-ups whom they have alwaysreported to.

Reading aloud the muster rolls and theother documents of a civil work in frontof the villagers has a tremendous response

and immediate impact. While generally atthe start of a social audit process in avillage, people choose to sit at a distanceand listen to the general information thatis being shared; there is a visible transfor-mation in interest when specific details ina muster roll or pay order are read out.People standing at the periphery movecloser and start listening more keenly. As

names and payments actually made areidentified, a range of reactions fromsurprise to anger to frustration,wonder, and cynicism are expressed.When the social auditors finally questionthe field assistant and technical assistantfor the work, the villagers start respondingto the queries.

The villagers appreciate the insistence

of the social audit team members that jobcards and post office accounts books bedistributed on the spot. There are also longand heated discussions about the rights andentitlements of the poor within the NREGAand as the issues of job cards, work andother provisions within the Act are ad-dressed, the people begin to identify withthe process.

At the conclusion of the social auditprocess, a public meeting attended byvillagers, peoples representatives, thelocal media and the officials responsible

for the implementation of the scheme isheld. Members of the public testify onvarious issues identified as problematicby the social audit team, and animateddiscussions on the various aspects ofthe implementation like the identificationof works, mode of measurements,payments, wage rates, and social equityissues ensue.

Ultimately, the process is cleansing;information enters the public domain whereit is subject to scrutiny and discussion andpeople have an opportunity to express theirconcerns and state their opinions. Officialsare called on to respond to the need fortaking corrective action, such as suspend-ing a functionary, ordering a delayedpayment, or initiating an enquiry into an

allegation of corruption. The group wit-nesses the statements of officials about theactions they will take and has the oppor-tunity to hold the officials accountable.

Insights into Working of Scheme

The lessons learned from social audits ofAPREGS are significant. Before the socialaudits began, there was no hint regardingthe nature of leakages that were takingplace. The social audits point out thesegaps and leakages, which are dangerous

portents of what the scheme could becomeif not checked early. Further, issues thatcome out of a social audit process do notcome on to the table in a regular monitor-ing and evaluation process or any reviewmeeting. No official report captures theleakages in a programme like the APREGS.

On an average, it has been found thatone in every 20 muster rolls is fudged

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Economic and Political Weekly February 3, 2007 347

and in every mandal between two and threegram panchayats harbour financial irregu-larities. In several places records are poorlyprepared and poorly maintained. There aredeviations in the wage amounts paid to thelabourers. For instance, as against theRs 100 officially recorded as the wagespaid, the labourer may state that s/he hasreceived only Rs 75 or records indicate

Rs 250 as being paid, yet the labourerstates that s/he received only Rs 200 andso on. As of now it has been found thatin a few villages the programme has beencompletely hijacked; muster rolls are fab-ricated in their entirety and non-existentworks are shown as having been com-pleted. Till date, following the social auditsabout 50 field assistants, 10 technicalassistants and six computer operators havebeen dismissed from service. Three mandalparishad development officers (MPDOs)have been suspended and full-fledged

departmental enquiry has been initiated insix mandals.In addition, the audit process reveals the

extent to which the basic concept andrequirements of the scheme must bedetailed. Wage seekers and administrationalike do not seem to have a clear under-standing of the concept and scope of theguarantee of the Act. The government hasbeen unable to meet the labour demand orto translate the demand-driven nature ofthe scheme into action. The social auditshave exposed the often unscrupulous re-lationship between the village level govern-

ment functionaries and local politicians.It is clear that while there is often a

process of accountability higher up in thesystem, there is little or no accountabilityto the public and even this concept hasbeen lacking so far in our systems ofgovernance. Once the public is includedand participates in information dissemina-tion and starts evaluating these schemes,schemes like APREGS can potentiallybegin to serve those whom they weredesigned to serve.

The reaction of the administrative ma-

chinery to the opening up of the officialrecords for public scrutiny has been varied.At the state level there is a total convictionthat social audits yield useful insights forthe effectiveness of a programme and thatcorrective courses can be taken immedi-ately. At the district level, an initial de-fensiveness has given way to the realisationof the value of the audit and cooperationwith the process is now more a norm.Functionaries at the mandal and the villagelevel (with the most to lose) expressresentment initially. With training being

provided to the MPDOs on the social auditprocess where they do the same kind ofverification as the village level socialauditors do, it is seen that the honest officersare beginning to come on board and realisethe potential it offers.

Social audits establish that unless trans-parency and accountability measures areput firmly into place and corrective action

is taken immediately, a scheme of the scaleof the APREGS or NREGA cannot bemonitored effectively. One of the best toolsto ensure these transparency measures isto bring the documents to the public domainand discuss them in an open forum. It isotherwise very difficult to track any gapsin the system. The coming together of thevarious stakeholders the labourers,government functionaries and the polityon one single platform and the public natureof the proceedings, wherein the variousdetails of the scheme are discussed thread-

bare has a desirable effect on the qualityas well as the implementation strategies ofthe scheme. There is now, as a districtcollector put it, a quantum leap in theawareness levels of the labourers regard-ing the programme.

There are several challenges in the pro-cess of institutionalising social audit. Tobegin with, the administrative machinerywhich has till date functioned under theOfficial Secrets Act and in turn used it asa cover for the inefficiencies and misuseof the system will now have to learn towork under the new Right to Information

Act where the public has full access to infor-mation. They will also have to learn to beaccountable to the public instead of justthe higher ups within the administration.

This seemingly impossible task is achiev-able through a combination of administra-tive directives on the one hand and trainingand sensitisation of the officials to thesocial audit processes on the other. In thethree districts (Ranga Reddy, Medak andKhammam) where this has been done, theMPDOs who were previously wary of thesocial audits have expressed, in a dramatic

turn-around, an appreciation of the pro-cesses and also reported an increasedawareness of reality at the ground level.

Several directives and executive instruc-tions on the duties and responsibilities ofthe administration in a social audit processhave been issued so far. Social audit ruleswhich will form the framework withinwhich the social audits would be con-ducted henceforth, are due to be passed inthe state assembly.

At this point of time, the government isthe triggering factor for the social audits

being conducted in Andhra Pradesh, asopposed to states such as Rajasthan, wherecivil society groups have triggered theprocess. Therefore, the civil societyorganisations and individuals will have totake on the responsibility of bringing theinformation regarding governmentprogrammes to the public gaze and facili-tating the social audit process so that people

begin to question and demand their rightsand entitlements not as a one-time eventbut as a way of everyday life.

The vested interests that indulge inmisuse of public money and would likethe majority to continue to remain voice-less are well entrenched within oursystem and society. To tackle them theadministration and civil society willhave to realise that neither can singlehandedly achieve much progress. Eachwhile doing its duty will have to neces-sarily work together even if it means

through a limited engagement to achievethe common agenda of a transparent andaccountable administrative machinerythrough a vigilant public.

Even as the rank and file of administra-tion in Andhra Pradesh is addressing theissues coming out of the social audits it isperhaps time for some serious introspectionfor the administrative machinery across thecountry. In programme after public pro-gramme significant amounts of thousandsof crores of rupees have been siphoned offby vested interests. So much so that de-velopment works have become synony-

mous with corruption in the country today.The culpability and indeed the activecontribution of the administrative machin-ery to this state of affairs can neither beignored nor remain unaddressed. The is-sues of corruption and the corrupt must beaddressed squarely.

The Rural Employment GuaranteeScheme gives an opportunity for thecountrys poor to seek livelihood withdignity. It has the capacity to addressdebilitating hunger and poverty in thecountry. In passing the NREGA and the

RTI Acts, Indias policy-makers have madestrong statements in support of the countryspoor. The administrative machinery andthe civil society now have the responsi-bility to ensure that the employment guar-antee scheme is implemented in a mannerthat serves intended beneficiaries anddoes not simply send more money downthe drain and into the hands of theundeserving. Social audit has the potentialto close that drain for good.

Email: [email protected]

EPW

Documents

Kidambi Aakella 2007 (Challenging Corruption With Social Audits)