While appreciating Department of Social Welfare (DoSW) for clarifying certain points raised by it based on RTI queries, Nagaland Public Rights Awareness and Action Forum (NPRAAF) however noted that it was not satisfied with the clarification on anomalies and irregularities in the department.
In a press note, NPRAAF information and publicity cell Sunday urged the department to come out with a clear picture on the issue of deductions of funds from Grants-in Aid (GIA) allotted to some NGOs.
Though DoSW had clarified on the issue of “some NGOs maintaining multiple homes and thus availing multiple Grants-in Aid (GIA) and permissible 3 % of total project cost of any central/state programmes”, NPRAAF however said the issue on deductions of GIA to some NGOs remained unclear as the issue was raised after its members physically visited the beneficiaries.
NPRAAF claimed that the beneficiaries were allegedly made to sign receipts quoting higher amount of money, but were given only lesser amount. The forum said it has evidence and was willing for joint inspection if the department desires.
NPRAAF said that the department in its earlier RTI reply stated that “individuals are not granted GIA or other monetary assistance.”
However, the forum alleged that certain individuals were given monetary assistance during the year 2013-14 on the “recommendation of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights and duly endorsed by State Level Selection Committee”.
NPRAAF also said this was in contradiction to the RTI response furnished by the DoSW and wondered “if any eligibility criteria for central/state programme can be compromised on the recommendations of some commissions/authorities”.
On DoSW’s claim, that the pending of payments to NGOs were due since the beneficiaries were not coming forward, NPRAAF asked the department to inform the beneficiaries on any GIA available for them since without being informed, the NGO would not have the knowledge of such sanctioned benefits.
To substantiate its claim, NPRAAF cited an instance, where a certain children home expressed surprise to find its name mentioned as a beneficiary of Rs 80, 000 in the RTI document. Thereafter only, the particular children home went and claimed the amount from the department, NPRAAF said.
Further, NPRAAF pointed out several other instances, where the amount of GIA given to beneficiaries did not match in the RTI replies. The forum said “in Annexure – I, a certain NGO was shown as a beneficiary of Rs 2 lakh, however, in the A.P.R receipt, the same beneficiary was shown to have received Rs 1.5 lakh only”. “Another NGO was shown as a beneficiary of Rs 1 lakh but the A.P.R receipt showed that the beneficiary received only Rs 80,000”, NPRAAF said.Therefore, NPRAAF said it welcomed any joint sitting and verification with the DoSW to sort out the issues.