Eastern Mirror: Dimapur: Sunday, July 31, 2016.
The
directorate of Social Welfare has refuted a number of allegations against it
leveled by a local organization concerning anomalies in the department, which
included ‘deductions.’
The Social
Welfare agency issued a press release on Saturday stating its contentions. The
charges were stated to have been leveled by a local activist group, the
Nagaland Public Rights Awareness Forum (NPRAAF) who allegedly found anomalies.
“No
deductions in any form have been made at source by the department. And if any
staffs are found indulging in such illegal practices the department will
initiate disciplinary action against the erring officials / staff,” the reply
from the department stated.
The press
release was appended by the agency’s directorate.
The
department also asserted that it had been ‘complying’ with requests for
information: “Under the RTI Act every department is mandated to disclose
information. The department has so far being complying. If there are such
instances/ cases where disclosures has been denied individuals/ group may take
up the (matter) with competent authority with supportive proof.”
Also, the
directorate stated that registered nongovernmental organizations seeking
grant-in-aid are verified through the District Welfare Offices. Based on the
verifications, the press release stated, the state-level selection committee
for grant-in-aid recommends ‘their inclusion for receiving the GIA,’ the
department stated.
‘Some
registered nongovernmental organizations are maintaining multiple homes and if
the state level selection committee finds them befitting and deserving of
grant-in-aid then only the grant is provided to the nongovernmental
organizations under multiple schemes.,’ it explained.
The
‘details’, according to the statement, are (given verbatim):
1.
Ebenezer is maintaining a children Home as well as an Old
Age Home in Dimapur.
2. Caring Neighbour Ministry is maintaining an Old Age Home
in Mokokchung and a Children Home in Dimapur.
Further, the
department clarified that for the implementation of any central or state
program, 3% of the total project cost was permissible for ‘administrative
expenditure.’
“Setting
aside Rs.50, 000 for office expenses come up to only 1.1% of the total amount
GIA released. Therefore, earmarking the amount for such expenses should not be
issue. No GIA is withheld by the department and pending payments if any is due
to the NGO’s not coming forward to claim the GIA,” the Social Welfare authority
stated.
The
department also clarified that that the amount of Rs.5, 00,000 available under
the State Plan during 2013-2014 was “primarily earmarked for prevention and
rehabilitation of drug abuse not confining to voluntary organizations alone.”
Based on the
recommendation of the National Commission for protection of Child Rights, the
State Level Selection Committee had duly endorsed the recommendation made to an
individual whose case was deserving and befitting, the press release stated.
“The
department is of the view that withholding such relief to a deserving
individual should be going against the moral ethics.”
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