ITANAGAR, 21 Jan: District and block level rural development (RD) and panchayati raj (PR) functionaries, alongside ZPMs, GPCs and village resource persons participated in a two-day district level sensitisation programme on social audit, organised by the State Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj (SIRD&PR) at Boleng in Siang district on Saturday.
Siang ZPC Oshi Pabin Mibang, who inaugurated the programme, commended the SIRD&PR for conducting the programme “for attaining transparency and accountability in the implementation of various poverty alleviation programmes being launched by the government.”
She emphasised that, “despite being in the office for more than two years, many block and GP level RD&PR officers and officials have not ever interacted with the stakeholders, nor seen the office, which is not at all a healthy sign for the newborn district.”
SIRD&PR Assistant Director SW Bagang, who is on a mission of touring five districts and conducting district level sensitisation programmes at the respective district headquarters, highlighted the objectives of conducting social audit in Arunachal Pradesh, “as it is a new concept for many functionaries as well as the ultimate beneficiaries.”
“Its application as a tool for smooth programme implementation pertaining to transparency and accountability will take time until all levels of stakeholders are acquainted with and sensitised to its prime objectives and necessity,” he said.
The programme included “technical face-to-face classroom interaction on various tenets of social audit by Bagang and SAU district resource person Tanyang Badu,” the SIRD&PR informed in a release.
DPDO Tatlin Pertin also spoke.
