LEH: With an objective of ensure equity, transparency, and accountability besides to strengthen the scheme based on feedback, the Ladakh administration will conduct a social audit of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) works in all villages of Ladakh UT, from November 1 onwards.
In line with the Operational Guidelines of JJM, the Gram Panchayats and Village Water & Sanitation Committees (VWSCs) are mandated to undertake social audit of the scheme;
In an official order, the administration instructed the Block Development Officers (BDOs) to get the social audit of all JJM works conducted through respective VWSCs from 01 of November, 2022 onward.
“The concerned BDOs shall convene a meeting of the Gram Sabha by issuing advance schedule and giving wide publicity to ensure participation of maximum villagers. Besides, participation of Chairpersons of Block Development Councils (BDC), Concerned Councillors of the area, concerned AEE, AE and JE of PHE, Chairman and members of the concerned VWSC, Third-Party Inspection Agency, and Implementing Support Agency-both JJM representative must also be ensured in the Audit process,” said an official order issued by Ajeet Kumar Sahu, IAS, Commissioner/ Secretary, General Administration Department, Ladakh.
The BDO of the concerned Block will be the overall in-charge of the social audit processes and will also issue village-wise schedule for conduct of the social audit, besides attending social audit process in at least 50% of the villages in their jurisdiction, added the order.
“Institutionalizing social audit process under any scheme facilitates participation of community in the programme thereby increasing transparency as well as ensuring reaching of intended social benefit of the scheme to the eligible persons. The works under the JJM scheme is going on in full swing and ensuring quality and transparency in the implementation of the scheme has been the primary endeavour of the Department and conduct of Social Audit of the scheme during the course of its implementation is one of the steps towards achieving these objectives,” said an official handout.
