NGOs, Orissa govt at loggerheads

The state government is firm on monitoring the work and funds of SOCIAL outfits under the RTI ACT, says Dhrutikam Mohanty

Development programmes launched by the government and non-government organisations (NGOs) in Orissa are not bearing much fruit. The situation becomes clear when one looks at the level of human development in the state. Orissa’s Human Development Index (HDI) ratings, the yardstick used to measure citizens’ access to knowledge, health, food and nutritional security, is at a nadir of 0.345. Families living below the poverty line (BPL) number over 40 lakh, a figure rising with each passing year. A survey in 1997 fixed the number of BPL families at 38 lakh. The figure jumped to 41.56 lakh in a 2002 survey. “Facts and figures clearly reveal that welfare projects are not implemented properly at the grassroots. Growth exists only on paper to appease bosses at the state secretariat,” remarks Panchanan Kanoongo, former finance minister of Orissa.

According to a survey in 2007-2008, over 80 per cent of households in 15 districts had a very low standard of living. It added that over 50 per cent households in 18 districts were BPL cardholders, the percentage being 60 in eight other districts.

While one is aware of the red tape and other bottlenecks in implementation of welfare programmes of the Centre or the state, it is time to examine the role of NGOs. “Administration at the grassroots is also riddled with corruption, favouritism and, very often, political intervention. But what happens to the efforts of 3,000-odd registered voluntary organisations (VOs) and NGOs working here,” asks senior journalist Ranjit Mohanty, who reports on the NGO sector in the state. Pramilla Mallick, minister of women and child development, says, “As per my knowledge, a minimum of two to three NGOs are working in each panchayat. If development is still not visible, then their activities should be scrutinised.”

In the last 10 years, registered VOs and NGOs working in Orissa have received around Rs 1500 crore from foreign countries to implement various projects to aid multifaceted development of the state. VOs and NGOs are knwon to have received Rs 420.56 crore between 1999 and 2003 and Rs 990 crore between 2004 and 2009 as overseas funding. Most of the money came from England, US, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland and Japan to implement projects in the sectors of health, sanitation, education, food security and livelihood generation.

Organisations working in Sundargarh, Balasore, Sambalpur, Koraput, Nuapara, Kandhamal, Malkangiri, Boudh, Puri and Cuttack districts received Rs 111.65 crore in 1999-2000, Rs 114.61 crore in 2000-01, Rs 107.61 crore in 2001-02 and Rs 87.67 crore in 2002-03, state government sources confirm. But ironically, Malkangiri, Kandhamal, Boudh, Kalahandi, Rayagada, Koraput, Nuapada and Nabarangpur have a very dismal HDI score. The 2007-2008 survey reveals that while Malkangiri and Boudh stand at the bottom on toilet facilities, only 1.7 per cent households have access to piped water in Kandhamal.


This is bound to raise a few eyebrows. To ascertain whether funds were being utilised properly, the state government has directed VOs and NGOs working to comply with the Right to Information (RTI) Act and make public all information regarding their funding and work. But the NGOs haven't fallen in line.

Prior to the RTI Act 2005, which came into force in Orissa from October 12, 2005, the state government had issued a guideline for all VOs and NGOs in 2004 to provide information regarding utilisation of funds and details of projects implemented by them. Thereafter, the government also informed all NGOs in 2007 to follow the guidelines required by the RTI Act. Nearly 300 NGOs have received crores of rupees as overseas funding. Over 1,000 more have applied for permission to receive such funds. Not one responded to this appeal. Orissa's planning and coordination (P&C) department finally published an newspaper advertisement on August 29, 2009, to make the VOs and NGOs aware of their duties and responsibilities. Section 2(h), (d), (ii) of the RTI Act, 2005, defines an NGO as “Public Authority”, if it is substantially financed directly/indirectly by the Central/State Government. As a “Public Authority”, an NGO has to discharge certain duties as indicated under section 4, 5,7,19 and other sections of the Act. An NGO is required to disclose, on its own, information pertaining to the organisation as required under the Act. This proactive disclosure should also be made on the Website of the NGO. This notification also requires NGOs substantially funded by the government to appoint public information officers and an appellate authority.

But the VOs and NGOs have adopted a combative line. They brand this notification as absurd and illegal. Pradip Pradhan, state convener of the Right to Food Campaign, a state-level forum of civil society organisations in Orissa, says: “The notification has not defined critical expressions like ‘substantially funded’ and ‘directly or indirectly financed by funds provided by the appropriate government’. NGOs (be they societies, companies, trusts, political parties, trade unions, officers’ clubs, professional associations of accountants, lawyers, physicians, etc) are therefore unclear about who would be considered as ‘Public Authorities’.

Social Activist Chitta Behera blames the government move as undemocratic. He says, “It is illegal. The government has not invited views of the public about the proposed notification. Needless to say, the government of Orissa, by this unconscionable act of commission, is guilty of violating a time-worn mandate of Section-23 of General Clauses Act, 1897, which is a must on the part of a state government to observe while making any rule or sub-rule under a Central Act.”

NGOs have submitted a memorandum to the Governor of Orissa, seeking his intervention and withdrawal of the notification. On the other hand, Dr R.V. Singh, special secretary, P&C department, has urged all secretary-level administrators to ensure that NGOs financed by the government comply with the provisions of the RTI Act. “It must be made mandatory for all NGOs seeking public funding to comply with the provisions of the Act,” he has stressed.

The next phase of this battle is likely to be fought in court. But so far neither the public nor the government has any authority to know how huge amounts of money, specifically meant for the development of Orissa, is being utilised. Says Kanoongo, “There should be transparency. in utilising public money. I think that people have the right to know how foreign funds taken for public welfare schemes are spent.”

( TSI ENG 22nd November 2009 )