SHILLONG, July 7: Twelve key welfare and development schemes will come under scrutiny, as the Meghalaya Society for Social Audit and Transparency (MSSAT) begins its annual Social Audit exercise for the 2026-27 financial year on July 8.
Officials said the exercise will examine the implementation of government programmes, including whether benefits reach the intended beneficiaries and public funds are utilised efficiently.
The first round of the audit will cover 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.The exercise will begin with a departmental meeting and preparation of the audit calendar, following which audit teams will visit villages to conduct door-to-door verification, inspect project sites, and carry out institutional checks.
The verification process will be followed by focus group discussions and Social Audit Gram Sabhas to gather feedback directly from local communities.
The findings will then be placed before officials at block-level Social Audit Public Hearings, where concerns and issues raised during the exercise will be taken up.
Action Taken Reports prepared after the hearings will be submitted to MSSAT, which will compile the findings and forward the Annual Social Audit Report to the state government.
Officials said community participation is central to the process as it strengthens the monitoring and evaluation of public programmes while promoting transparency, accountability and trust.
They added that social audits also help track the progress of schemes and assess whether they are delivering tangible benefits on the ground.
MSSAT has urged beneficiaries, members of the public and implementing agencies to actively participate in the exercise to make the audit process meaningful and effective.
