As per Section 28(1) of the National Food Security Act, 2013, every local authority, or any other authority or body, as may be authorized by the State Government, shall conduct or cause to be conducted, periodic social audits on the functioning of fair price shops, Targeted Public Distribution System and other welfare schemes and cause to publicize its findings and take necessary action, in such manner as may be prescribed by the State Government.
2. The government of Telangana State have issued certain guidelines for effective conduct of social audit in the F.P Shops.
3. In supersession of the orders issued in the reference 2nd read above, the Government have issued fresh guidelines for conducting Social Audit as required under Section 28(1) of the National Food Security Act, 2013, in order to have an audit on the functioning of Fair Price Shops, Targeted Public Distribution System and other welfare schemes by the card holders themselves and to assess the effectiveness of the delivery of food grains and other PDS commodities to the card holders both in terms of quantities and quality.
4. GOI have issued certain guidelines to audit the related documents of the FP shops by the local bodies, the process of social audit should also include eliciting views/grievances/suggestions from the public on certain important parameters related to functioning of Fair Price Shops such as :
i) Public display of the entire list of eligible households under NFSA ii) Updation in the list of beneficiaries.
iii) Timely availability of adequate stock of foodgrains in the Fair Price Shop.
iv) Timely distribution of foodgrains to eligible households as per their entitlement under the Act.
v) Distribution of foodgrains to the eligible households as per their entitlement under the Act.
vi) Distribution of foodgrains to the eligible households at prices specified under the Act.
vii) Regular and timely opening and closing of fair price shops.
viii) Awareness about grievance redressal mechanism and their effectiveness in redressal of grievances.
ix) Use of technology in beneficiaries authentication and proper targeting . x) Any other issue.
Further informed that the guidelines on social audit should also contain provision for making public Reports of the social audit and action taken thereon, including placing the same on the PDS portal. GOI has suggested to consider adopting the guidelines on social audit of the Government of Chattisgarh.
5. Keeping the above guidelines issued by Government of India and in supersession of the orders issued in the reference 3rd read above, the following fresh guidelines are issued for the effective conduct of social audit:
i. All records related to allotment, storage and distribution of ration commodities under Public Distribution System of Fair Price Shops shall be placed at Gram Sabhas to be held for once in six months.
ii. In rural areas, documents of intervening period between the Grama Sabhas specified in the Rule 4 (C) (1) shall be placed in Grama Sabha by Fair Price Shop owner and Food Inspector / Deputy Tahsildar (CS) in-charge for social audit.
iii. After audit of documents at Grama Sabha, the report along with recommendations shall be submitted to Block level vigilance committee. After examination by Block level vigilance committee, recommendations shall be forwarded to District level vigilance committe for further necessary action.
iv. In urban areas, the urban local body shall hold meeting on the fixed date and shall conduct social audit. Meeting at ward level shall be conducted at least once in six months for social audit compulsorily.
v. Documents of last 6 months shall be submitted by Fair Price Shop owner and Food Inspector in-charge for social audit in urban areas.
vi. After audit of documents at ward sabha meeting in urban areas, the report along with recommendation shall be submitted to Block level vigilance committee. After examination by Block level vigilance committee, recommendation shall be forwarded to District level vigilance committee for further necessary action.
vii. After compiling the social audit report of Fair Price Shops, necessary examination shall be made at District level and District Collector shall take further necessary action. Action taken on the social audit report shall be forwarded to Directorate and State Government.
viii. Advance intimation about the FP shops selected for Social Audit, along with venue, date and time shall be informed by the Tahsildar to the concerned VRO for informing the same in advance to the Vigilance Committee members, and FP Shop dealers.
ix. The V.R.O shall inform the venue, date and time of Social Audit to the F.P Shop dealer, Vigilance Committee members.
x. Wide publicity should be made on conducting social audit of the FP shops in the village, one day in advance, by beat of drum (tom tom) informing, the venue and time of social audit to the cardholders by the V.R.O. Special care should be taken to see that all the cardholders in the remote hamlets/habitations are covered about conducting of social audit of the FP shop.
xi. Special care should be taken to see that all the cardholders in the remote hamlets/ habitations are also covered under Social Audit.
xii. Social Audit shall be conducted preferably in the morning between 8 to 10 A.M and in the evening between 4 to 6 PM.
xiii. In Social audit, the following issues shall be covered:
a) Scrutiny of the appointment letter of the FP Shop dealer to ensure whether he is the authorized dealer and his authorization is valid as on the date of audit.
b) Number of cards, category-wise, available with the dealer.
c) The date of stamping done by the weights and measures Department on the weights and weighing machine.
d) Quantity of stocks received during the month by the FP Shop dealer for which he has to produce the copy of RO issued by the Tahsildar along with the stock register / epos machine, as the case may be.
e) FP Shop dealer to produce key register / Stock Register / Distribution Register / epos machine for scrutiny to the Audit Committee, to know as to how much quantity was distributed and the balance stock available with him.
f) The audit party shall scrutinize the aspects relating to quantity, quality, scale of distribution, price at which essential commodities were issued and the timings of operation by the FP shop dealer.
g) Complaints / Suggestions for further improvement.
h) A check list (enclosed) shall be filled by the “ Social Audit Committee” and handed over to the concerned Tahsildar on the same day by the VRO.
i) If any cardholders makes any complaint about non-availability or nonissue of the essential commodities, the Grama Sabha may hear such complaint and look into them for Redressal.
6. The Commissioner of Civil Supplies, Telangana, Hyderabad, is requested to take further action in the matter.
CHECK LIST
Date of conducting the social audit:
1. Name of the District
2. Name of the Revenue Division
3. Name of the Mandal
4. Name of the village
5. No. of FP Shop
6. Name of the FP Shop dealer
7. No. & Date of order / appointment / authorization
8. Does the Dealer’s photo identity card matches the dealer:
9. (a) Number of cards / Units existing as per the Key registers / Tahsildars office procgs. Of allotment of Ecs
Cards Units
FSC :
AFSC(AAY) : Annapurna : Total :
10. Weights & Measures:
Whether weights and measures have been Checked and stamped by the Weights and Measures Dept., Inspector : (as per rule 14 & 15 of AP Standards of Weights & Measures (Enforcement) Rules, 1986. If so, details :
11. Stock distributed as per Issue Register / epos Machine Quantity
FSC Cards : AFSC Cards : Annapurna :
12. Stock available on ground
Qtls, Kgs
FSC Cards : AFSC Cards : Annapurna :
13. Quality of rice supplied : Good / Bad
14.Suggestions for further improvement:
Signature of the “Social Audit Committee” Members along with card nos.
The post Guidelines for Social Audit Telangana Fair Price Shops appeared first on Telangana NavaNirmana Sena.