SSAAT is an independent society set up by the Department of Rural Development, Government of Andhra Pradesh to conduct social audits of its flagship programme Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). In recent years, SSAAT has been entrusted with the mandate to conduct social audits of welfare schemes of other departments within the Government of Andhra Pradesh. This in
cludes the Social Security Pension (SSP), Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) and the AamAdmiBimaYojana (AABY). In FY 2012-13, SSAAT audited public funds to the tune of INR 50 billion and has trained 35000 members from the beneficiarie's families. It has also conducted 1100 public hearings wherein beneficiaries could present issues faced by them such as delay in payments or regular frauds to the implementing officials directly. SSAAT lends its technical skills and expertising helping programmes and governments both nationally and internationally. On the national level, the programmes include Government of India's centrally coordinated Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDMS)which is the world's largest hunger intervention programme for children and Government of Jharkhand's Special Swarnajayanti Gram SwarozgarYojana (SGSY) scheme for promoting community managed rural livelihoods. On the international platform, SSAAT has provided technical guidance to many programmes includingConstituency Development Fund (CDF) in Kenya and Refuse Collection and Sanitation(RCS) in South Africa. In FY 2012-13:
Social Security Pensions:
SSAAT has conducted 55 mandals SSU [Social Security Unit]pilot social audits during Nov 2012 to March 2013 during which time Rs. 11,53,86,511 funds were audited and total beneficiaries reached out to was approximately 56000. In this process, 1100 VSAs from the wage-seeker's families were trained and 55 mandal level Public Hearings were conducted where the approximate attendance was 11000. Aam Aadmi Beema Yojana:
Intergrated Watershed Management Programme:
Keeping in view of the successful implementation of Social Audit process for MGNREGS Programme in Andhra Pradesh(combined State of A.P & T.G) since 2006 and identified as best practice part of Good Governance, the Social Audit was adopted for IWMP Projects as well. The Andhra Pradesh(combined State of A.P & T.G) is a first State in the country started the social audit process for Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP). SSAAT has conducted the social audit in 22 IWMP projects (includes 133 micro watersheds) during 2013-14 where Rs. 39, 55,28,963/- amount is audited and Rs.109815 is recovered and Rs. 42,82,880 amount is referred for recovery by presiding officers. And total 227 VSAs were trained from wage seekers and beneficiaries families.
