Social audit strengthens trust between the government and the public: Dr. Virender Singh Chauhan
Girish Saini
Feb 11, 2026 09:56
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Nilokheri, February 11, 2026: Social audit is not just a formality, but a powerful process for empowering the public. When villagers themselves review schemes, transparency increases, and corruption is curbed, and benefits reach the actual eligible beneficiaries. Dr. Virender Singh Chauhan, Director of the Haryana Institute Rural Development (HIRD) expressed these views. He was addressing the closing session of the two-day training program on social audit being conducted at the HIRD. Program coordinator Dr. Wazir Singh welcomed Chief Guest Dr. Chauhan with a bouquet of flowers. Presenting the outline of the training program, he explained that social audit is a powerful medium for effective monitoring of schemes and public participation.
Dr. Virender Singh Chauhan said that social audit is the soul of democracy, strengthening trust between the government and the public. He said that the success of public welfare schemes like the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin) depends on transparency, accountability, and public participation.
He added that training programs ensure capacity building for officials and employees, making implementation of schemes more effective and result-oriented. He urged participants to strengthen the rural development process by applying their learning at the grassroots level.
HIRD Director Dr. Chauhan also made all participants pledge to prioritize the Hindi language in their work. He said that the use of Hindi in government work makes communication with the public more smooth and effective and strengthens administrative transparency. HIRD faculty member Kamaldeep Sangwan, advisor Gurbinder Singh from the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, and participants were present on the occasion.
