Question : CRITERIA FOR GRANTS TO NGOs

(a) the criteria laid down by the Government for the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to receive centrally sponsored grant-in-aids for residential and non-residential schools for deaf and dump children;

(b) whether the existing policy of the Government does not provide such grant-in-aids to more than two NGOs in any one particular district of the country;

(c) if so, the rationale behind such a policy, which deprives genuine NGOs to get grant-in-aid;

(d) whether the Government intends to review its policy in this regard and allow genuine NGOs to get the grant-in-aid either in a fresh manner by discontinuing the aid to such NGOs, which have been receiving such aids from the Government for a period of more than five year or so; and

(e) if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (SMT. SUBBULAKSHMI JAGADEESAN)

(a) The criteria laid down for NGOs to receive grant-in-aid under the Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme are as under:

I. The organisation should be:

(a) Registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 or any relevant Act of the State/Union Territory; or a public Trust registered under the law for the time being in force; or a charitable company licensed under Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1958 for at least 2 years

II. It should have at least 2 years experience in running the project for which grant in aid is being applied for under the scheme.

III. It should have a legally constituted managing body.

IV. It is not run for profit to any individual or a body of individuals.

(b) & (c) An overall review of projects supported under the scheme made during the previous years revealed that the benefit of the scheme has reached to the disabled beneficiaries in 224 districts only out of about 601 districts in the country. It is also seen that there is large concentration of projects in a few districts. Since it is a Central Sector Scheme it is essential to extend the benefit of the scheme to the disabled in all the districts in the country. In order to check further concentration of projects in any district and to ensure balanced regional growth and distribution of funds, the Screening Committee set up for considering new cases of grant in aid proposals during 2003-04 did not find it feasible to support more than two projects under the scheme in each district.

(d) & (e): Review of policies is an ongoing process. Every year new NGOs are given grant in aid as per existing policy. Grants are continued to NGOs only after they are inspected for the adequacy of their performance.