Haryana NGOs asked to put all information online
The Haryana government recently announced that it would be mandatory for all NGOs in the state to have their individual websites by June 30 if they have to qualify for further grants. They will also have to put all relevant information online.
On March 23, 2007, Kartar Devi, minister for social welfare, Haryana, said the website will have to include physical facilities, financial resources (expenditure and sources of funding), composition of management, professional experience, details of activities and information regarding beneficiaries. This will be applicable to NGOs receiving grants from central and state governments for implementation of social welfare projects in the state.
This is to streamline supervision of ngos and ensure transparency in their functioning, said Devi.Anuradha Gupta, the state's social welfare commissioner, said the step was important to prevent financial irregularities in NGOs and also to check organisations that exist only on papers. The website has to inform the public about government-sanctioned schemes and the grants being given to NGOs, she added.
NGOs have welcomed the decision. "We do not have any problem as we already have a website and all relevant information online,' said an official of Ujjwal Niketan, a Gurgaon-based NGO. But it feared this might put financial burden on NGOs with few resources.
"The government should provide a common platform for NGOs to go online since many grass root NGOs do not have the expertise or money to launch websites,' said Jay Sehgal, executive director of Gurgaon-based Sehgal Foundation.