Srinagar: In a move aimed at ensuring effective monitoring and public accountability of the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (Gramin), the Jammu & Kashmir Government has ordered that social audit units set up under MGNREGA shall also conduct social audit of the scheme in the UT.
In an order the J&K’s Rural Development and Panchayati Raj has ordered that social audit units set up under MGNREGA shall also conduct social audit of PMAY-G in the UT of Jammu & Kashmir with the same geographical jurisdiction as assigned under MGNREGA.
The move is aimed at ensuring community participation in the monitoring of PMAY-G scheme at the grassroots level.
Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana Gramin (PMAY-G) is a centrally sponsored flagship scheme of the Government of India that is dedicated towards Housing for All by the year 2024.
The scope of social audit shall include assessing whether sufficient awareness on the scheme has been generated.
It shall also look at whether people’s voices were heard in the implementation of the scheme.
It shall examine whether specified processes relating to preparation of permanent wait list from Socio Economic and Caste Census data, beneficiary selection, house sanction, fund disbursal, , maintenance of documents and registers, technical support, loan support, and convergence have been followed.
In the initial audit, all PMAY-G houses since the inception of PMAY-G to be covered. “However, for subsequent audits, the audit period shall be 12 months prior to the month when the audit takes place,” reads guidelines governing social audit for PMAY (G) scheme.
The guidelines further state that social audit shall be conducted once a year in every Panchayat.
“The scope of social audit for a particular year shall include verification of all beneficiaries under PMAY-G. This will include both – beneficiaries who have completed construction of their house and beneficiaries whose house is under construction. This would help in addressing the problems faced by beneficiaries during the construction,” the guidelines state—(KNO).