Social Audit Of MGNREGA Scheme:
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), a fundamental component of India’s social welfare initiatives, has been marred by persistent concerns regarding a high incidence of corruption.
- In the ongoing financial year (2023-24), social audit units flagged misappropriation amounting to ₹27.5 crore under MGNREGA.
- After taking corrective actions, this amount reduced to ₹9.5 crore, but only a meager ₹1.31 crore (13.8% of the total) has been recovered.
- The recovery rates in previous financial years show a similar trend of inefficiency:
- In 2022-23, the recoverable amount was ₹86.2 crore, but only ₹18 crore (20.8% of the total) was recovered.
- In 2021-22, ₹171 crore was flagged, yet a mere ₹26 crore (15% of the total) was recovered.
- These consistently low recovery rates raise significant concerns about the scheme’s effectiveness in combating corruption.
- The low recovery rate also jeopardizes the credibility of the entire audit process.
- This threatens to undermine public trust in MGNREGA’s integrity and purpose.
