The following problems and difficulties faced by NGOs, particularly those working at the grass roots level in rural areas in the matter of having access to information highlighted.
• Registration delays at the Sub-Divisional/District/State Capital level create difficulties for NGOs who have applied registration.
• Renewal of registration, whenever periodically mandated by the District/State authorities caused delays and create problems for the NGOs.
• In the context, information is not made available in many cases to the NGOs as regards the cause for delays either in regard to registration or renewals. The cutting edge level functionaries in the registration office reportedly caused harassment to the NGO applicants.
• NGOs do not have adequate access to information pertaining to the funding details of various projects at the District/State Level. In the absence of such information, they run from pillar to post and suffer at the hands of some middle men and touts who specialize in causing greater harassment to the NGOs financial, mentally and time-wise.
• It is imperative that the District/State level authorities provide complete information regarding details of the projects for which NGOs are entitled to apply and receive funds, and the procedure to be followed in availing of such assistance.
• There is also the question of inordinate involved in the clearance of the proposals after submission of the applications and release of funds. Monitors and evaluators deputed for this purpose also sometimes play an unhelpful role and function on non-transparent lines. In all such situations it is necessary that the NGOs are fully taken into confidence so that they understand what is right and wrong on their part and what is expected of them.
• The NGOs also face the problem of their cases not being recommended by District/State level authorities to the various departments/organizations under Govt. of India for the purpose of availing of Central Sector Schemes meant for NGOs. In all these cases, there is a mandatory reference to the State Governments and only upon their recommendation, the case of NGOs will be taken up for consideration by the Central authorities. Even if the scheme is substantially viable and there is the felt need of the people (target groups) for implementation for he projects on urgent basis, the sheer delay in inspection, adherence to procedures, forwarding of the recommendation to concerned authorities, etc., create enormous difficulties to the NGOs in availing of the Central assistance on the timely basis. In all these situations, the requisite or necessary information does not flow to the NGOs and they feel harassed and extremely uncomfortable in dealing with the situation.
• There are also instance of some “influential” NGOs getting their cases processed faster then those who do not have such “ influence,” and on top of that, they suffer at the hands of the cutting edge level authorities by being denied the benefit of having necessary information as to why such delays or discriminations take place concerning their cases.
• There are also cases of NGOs not getting information from the concerned quarters within the prescribed time and as a result. Their cases get rejected for no fault of their own. There is, therefore, the case for quicker mode of communication with the NGOs enabled by IT, etc. However in the absence of proper power and road communication, with the NGOs in rural areas may legitimately look forward to reasonable times for responding to the queries sought for by the funding agencies.
• There is also the discriminatory approach adopted by some of the foreign funding agencies, creating problems for genuine and good NGOs even as the well connected NGOs manage to overcome procedural and technical delays with regard to their cases.
While all the above issues are raised in different for a by the NGOs affected due to procedural and approval processes, it is necessary to bring to the notice and knowledge of the NGOs as to what are their own lapses and lacunae in their functioning, which call for rectification in this era of total information availability and transparency in all the functions of the NGOs as well as the funding agencies. Some of these issues are:-
• NGOs should be very clear and transparent in regard to their objectives and activities in letter and spirit as reflected in their memorandum of association and rules and regulation. This fundamental principle should not be diluted or ignored by the NGOs as their own activities are also open to question by the funding authorities, beneficiaries and peer groups (NGOs) engaged in similar activities.
• The NGOs should always be open to question regarding their accounts, flow of funds, management of funds, auditing and utilization of funds provided by the funding agencies, etc. in all these matters, NGOs should not hesitate to make available every kind of information to whoever wants that information without any reservation whatsoever. Being transparent to the core will benefit the NGOs in the long run.
• In regard to implementation of the schemes, a system should be devised under which the beneficiaries and the target groups should become the unbiased and impartial spokespersons of the activities of the NGOs and the benefits received by them from the NGOs. Their words and actions at the field level will speak louder than any claim being made by any NGO.
• The communication and information dissemination system should be institutionalized in the NGO set up so as to give opportunity for anyone to walk into the office of the NGO and be fully apprised of the activities of the NGO and the management of its affairs.
• The NGOs should also establish harmonious relationship with their District/State level authorities and the Panchayati Raj institutions in regard to their role and responsibilities.
• In the context of the RTI Act, the NGOs should not consider it their prerogative to seek any information they like from any quarters while they themselves would functioned in a manner that would raise suspicion or generate any criticsm.
• The NGOs should realise that RTI Act is a two-way traffic and along with the right there is also the inescapable obligation to oneself and to society, in terms of moral responsibility and the need for maintaining the highest standards of integrity in public life.
• Adherence to procedure aspects and accountability to public in all dimensions of their functioning should be the touchstone for the working of a good NGO. This is the meaning of Government in the context of any NGO.
V. Mawia Lasoh, General Secretary
CNRI, Nagaland Chapter, Nagaland
