The Assam Society for Social Audit (ASSA) has trained 42 state- and district-level resource persons to improve social audit reporting, identify irregularities and ensure timely follow-up of findings across the state.
The two-day capacity-building workshop, organised in collaboration with the Golap Barbara State Institute of Panchayat and Rural Development (GB-SIPRD), was held at Kahikuchi in Guwahati on October 12 and 13.
Addressing the valedictory session, Dr B. Kalyan Chakravarthy, Additional Chief Secretary of the Panchayat and Rural Development Department, stressed that quality social audits were essential for transparency, accountability and public trust. He urged participants to ensure that audit findings prompted corrective action and that government schemes reached their intended beneficiaries.
ASSA Director Dr Arup Jyoti Kalita called for a shift from routine compliance-based exercises to evidence-based, outcome-oriented audits, emphasising the importance of accurate reporting of ground realities.
The training covered documentation, financial irregularities, community mobilisation, inclusive education and audits of welfare schemes. Participants also learned to use digital platforms, including Management Information Systems, Kobo tools, dashboards, the Nirnay App and the Awas App.
Sessions addressed standard operating procedures and the preparation and monitoring of Action Taken Reports, which track measures taken in response to audit findings. Resource persons included experts from the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Samagra Shiksha Assam, CML-Tata Trust and the state’s rural development institutions.
ASSA plans to prepare a 100-day action plan focusing on social audits, compliance with Action Taken Report requirements and assessment of audit outcomes. The initiative aims to improve the implementation of government schemes through standardised reporting and systematic monitoring of corrective measures.
