Mayyil becomes first panchayat to complete social audit of waste-free drive

Trivandrum / July 14, 2023

Thiruvananthapuram, July 14: Mayyil Village Panchayat in Kannur district has become the first local body in the state to complete the social audit of the first phase of activities taken up as part of the first phase of the waste-free campaign ‘Malinya Muktam Nava Keralam.’

Social audit has been made an integral component of all projects and activities being implemented by the Local Self Government Institutions (LSGIs) in the state to ensure complete transparency and inclusiveness in their planning and implementation, marking a shift from the conventional approach of state agencies doing all these functions on their own.

In Mayyil Panchayat, the Social Audit report was presented at the Grama Sabha held earlier this week, thoroughly reviewing the activities of the first phase of the campaign conducted from March 13 to June 5. The review was done by a 12-member committee comprising people from different walks of life.

The panel critically evaluated the report submitted by the panchayat authorities in the Haritha Sabha held on June 5, convened to take stock of the progress of the activities carried out during the first phase of the campaign.

The review found that many of the claims made by the panchayat authorities were true though there had been some shortcomings, which needed to be rectified. The gaps mainly pertained to door-step collection of waste.

The panel also emphasized the need to further strengthening the awareness programs. The report also mentioned certain activities which need greater attention in the subsequent phases of the campaign.

The Department of Local Self Government had directed local bodies across the state to conduct periodic social audit of projects relating to ‘Malinya Muktam Nava Keralam’ campaign, which aims at creating sustainable and self-reliant solid waste management systems in all local bodies by next year.