STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Assam government has initiated steps to conduct a Social Audit of the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) scheme in 925 schools across the state during the financial year 2026-27. The Social Audit programme is aimed at providing a community-based mechanism to review the implementation of PM POSHAN at the school level and strengthen transparency and accountability in the scheme.
The Office of the State Nodal Officer, PM POSHAN, has directed Block Development Officers to constitute Social Audit Facilitation Teams (SAFT) at the cluster level to facilitate the audit process.
The social audit will be conducted in coordination with the Assam Society for Social Audit, a society under the Panchayat & Rural Development (PNRD), Assam. An agreement in this regard was executed on July 21, 2026. The audit will cover 925 schools as well as the Centralized Kitchens in Kamrup, Kamrup (Metropolitan) and Jorhat, with the entire process, including submission of the final report, to be completed by November 20, 2026.
As per the Social Audit guidelines, each SAFT will comprise 6–8 members. The team will include two parents, including at least one parent from the economically weaker or socially backward/ Children With Special Needs (CWSN) category; two representatives from Village Organisations of Women (VOW) or Women Self-Help Groups under National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), or preferably two female youths from nearby colleges where VOW is unavailable; one representative of a civil society group working in education; one retired government official or retired defence personnel; and one representative of the local authority.
The guidelines also prohibit the inclusion of persons directly or indirectly involved in PM POSHAN-related activities and serving government officials associated with the education or related departments.
The SAFTs will visit the selected schools and facilitate the Social Audit under the supervision of the Cluster Social Auditor (CSA). The detailed roles and responsibilities of the teams have also been circulated.
The State Nodal Officer has asked the concerned authorities to ensure that the SAFTs are constituted in coordination with officials of the Assam Society for Social Audit and the respective Block Mission Offices of Samagra Shiksha, following the school-wise Social Audit calendars already communicated to the districts.
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