Management of State Welfare Schemes in Rajasthan : Efficiency, Leakages and Accountability

Dr. Manoj Kumar Sharma

Rajasthan welfare schemes, efficiency, leakages, accountability, Aadhaar-based DBT, social audits, Public Financial Management System, Rajasthan Transparency and Social Accountability Bill, Social and

Management of state welfare schemes in Rajasthan : efficiency, leakages and accountability through various administrative, technological, and legal measures. Despite these efforts, challenges remain in beneficiary identification, timely disbursement, and effective monitoring. The efficiency of Rajasthan's welfare schemes is compromised by partial beneficiary identification, delayed release of funds, and instances of duplicate payments, as highlighted in audit reports. Leakages occur mainly due to corruption, mismanagement, and lack of rigorous enforcement of social audits. For example, only part of the intended beneficiaries have been successfully targeted on time, with inadequate monitoring and grievance redressal mechanisms impacting outcomes ​. To address these issues, Rajasthan has implemented Aadhaar-based direct benefit transfers, which enhance accuracy by minimizing errors and data mismatches, improving the targeting and delivery of welfare resources. Furthermore, digital platforms such as the Public Financial Management System provide real-time fund flow tracking, enabling transparency in schemes and reducing leakages. Innovative measures like blockchain-backed audit trails and social audit mechanisms also contribute to accountability ​. Legal frameworks like the Rajasthan Transparency and Social Accountability Bill mandate social audits and establish commissions for oversight, promoting citizen participation and transparency in welfare delivery. However, implementation challenges such as bureaucratic resistance and limited budgets hamper the full realization of these measures. The state has also established bodies like the Social and Performance Audit Authority to strengthen accountability in scheme delivery and to conduct performance audits to track fund utilization and effectivenes.