Much has been said and written about the social audits conducted in Andhra Pradesh under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. But on the ground these audits have achieved much less than advertised and they have ignored many important aspects of implementation of NREGA. The social audit process has a long way to go before it can claim to have contributed to transparency, empowerment and good governance. This piece explains and evaluates the realities and shortcomings of social audits carried out under NREGA.