4,000 more NGOs to lose registration soon
The government has initiated a move to set up a commission to look into operations of non-governmental organisations in the wake of allegations that many of them are ‘involved in terror financing and other anti-state activities.’ The secretary-level committee for administrative development has already approved the social welfare ministry proposal for the commission aimed at bringing all non-governmental organisations under a single authority to hold them accountable and ensure transparency in their financial transactions, the officials concerned said.
‘We are working on setting up a commission which will make recommendations as to how NGOs registered with different authorities could be held accountable in a coordinated manner. The commission will also frame a draft law to regulate their activities,’ the social welfare secretary, Ranjit Kumar Biswas, told New Age last week.
He said that the proposal for the establishment of a temporary commission would be placed at a cabinet meeting for the final approval.
The law ministry has also given its opinion in favour of the social welfare ministry’s move for the institution of a commission to inquire into the activities of NGOs and other voluntary organisations registered with several departments under different ministries and also with the NGO Affairs Bureau under the Prime Ministers’ Office.
Many of these organisations receive credit funds and donations from international organisations to implement different development projects and advocacy and micro-credit programmes but they do not maintain transparency in transactions, according to officials.
The government has, meanwhile, cancelled registrations of more than 6,000 NGOs amid various allegations that include terror financing and lack of transparency in their activities, according to the social welfare ministry.
‘We have made a fresh list of 4,000 more NGOs for the cancellation of their registrations as these organisations have been inactive for quite a long time,’ said a senior official adding that around 50,000 NGOs were actively operating across the country.
He said that the ministry was preparing the terms of reference for the proposed commission.
‘We will issue a gazette notification on the formation of the commission after we get the cabinet approval.’
The 11-member commission to be led by either a retired secretary or a judge will be asked to submit their recommendations in six month, said another official who is working on the formation of the commission.
‘We will soon send the proposal with a pay structure for the commission members to the finance ministry for approval,’ the official said.
He said that the commission would look into the allegations against NGOs involved in anti-state activities.
It will also suggest a mechanism to ensure transparency in financial transactions and expenditure and also in the foreign aids received from various international organisations.
Courtesy of New Age
