The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has directed the Panchayati Raj Department for a report over absence of social audit system in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in the State.
The OHRC direction came as the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) transferred a petition filed by Angul-based Human Rights Watch secretary Sangita Swain for necessary action recently.
“The Odisha Government has been ignoring the social audit of MGNREGA. If the Odisha Society for Social Audit, Accountability and Transparency (OSSAAT) has been created under the Panchayati Raj Department to conduct social audit of the implementation of the Central sponsored programme but the same was yet to be implemented,” alleged the petitioner.
“The Odisha Government is intentionally avoiding the social audit system while huge funds have been misappropriated using machines instead of labourer violating the MGNREGA guidelines,” the petitioner contended.
The petitioner had prayed the apex human rights watchdog to order criminal/ disciplinary/departmental proceedings against the concerned public authorities. She had further urged the commission to ensure social audit system.
