Department assures to take up issues of anomalies seriously
Dimapur, August 21 (MExN): The Social Welfare Department, Govt. of Nagaland held a meeting with the Nagaland Public Rights Awareness and Action Forum (NPRAAF) to discuss the various anomalies in the department pointed out by NPRAAF. The meeting was held on August 19 at the official chamber of the Director of Social Welfare.
A press release from NPRAAF informed that the Social Welfare Department agreed to take up the issues of anomalies highlighted by the Forum seriously and fix responsibilities.
The Director further agreed to the Forum’s demand that non-functioning NGOs should be identified and ceased from receiving funds.
The demand to make mandatory for all NGOs, which are receiving funds of any form from the department, to submit annual activities report was also agreed upon.
The department further agreed to the NPRAAF demand that NGOs receiving grants should be informed through an official letter and print media by the department giving at least 45 days to collect the grant.
The department also consented to specify the reason of disproportionate funding of NGOs through notification. This would encourage healthy competition amongst the NGOs in its endeavor for a cause, stated NPRAAF.
The Forum’s demand that funds should be disbursed strictly on the Govt. of India set guidelines and no special committee should override the standard norms as in the past also received positive response, according to the release.
The meeting further decided that all grant should be disbursed through an account payee or direct transfer to the beneficiary NGOs current account by the department.
The department also agreed to the demand that registration of the NGOs from the Home Department alone should not be the criteria to qualify for grants, the release said. The department was asked to spell out other eligibility criteria to maintain fairness and optimum utilization of the grants.
“The department should be made transparent the eligibility criteria of NGOs receiving special funding,” NPRAAF demanded.
The Forum also stated that any NGOs ceasing to receive funds from the department should be notified the reason of its ineligibility or discontinuance of funding and not abruptly stopped without assigning reason.
NPRAAF also demanded that there should be annual meeting of all the funded NGOs with the Social Welfare Department for better coordination with the department and efficacy of NGOs.
NPRAAF appreciated the Director of Social Welfare, T. Merangtsuba Aier for taking action against one of its staff for deducting percentage from Grant-in-Aid (GIA) of the NGOs.
In the meeting, the Directorate of Social Welfare was led by its Director and 5 senior most officials, while NPRAAF was represented by its President and 6 officials.
