Rajat Kumar Agarwal, founder of Sankalp India Foundation, says the government agency’s investigation should help in identifying only the real culprits and not harass honest persons involved with NGOs.
The Central government has cracked the whip by freezing the accounts of 46 non-government organisations (NGOs), and barring 41 of them from receiving and utilising foreign funds. It has, now, entrusted the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate into these discrepancies.
However, Rajat Kumar Agarwal, founder of Sankalp India Foundation, says the government agency’s investigation should help in identifying only the real culprits and not harass honest persons involved with NGOs. Agarwal tells DNA social and internal audits should be made mandatory in all NGOs.
The government has frozen the accounts of 46 NGOs and banned foreign fund transactions of another 41. What is your reaction to it?
With corruption overriding every sphere of the society, people tend to lose faith in NGOs. We feel hurt when people say that they do not believe in us or in our work. I won’t say that all NGOs are clean, and that there are no chances of funds being misused. We are looking forward to a proper probe. The culprits should be caught.
Do you think the government should adopt a policy to stop foreign fund inflow into this sector fully, now that such dishonest acts have come to light?
The government has laid some regulations for us, but that is only on paper. We do have foreign fund inflow, but why should the government adopt any policy? There should be transparency in the organisation and operation of an NGO. If the government comes out with some regulations, we would be more than happy to comply with them. NGOs, which are busy with everything else except what they should be ideally doing, are responsible for people losing faith in us.
What is ideal for an NGO when it comes to utilisation of funds? If a person with wrong intentions is found out, what is the punishment he gets?
In such organisations, the responsibility falls on the founders or operational heads. NGOs should have social as well as own audits. Volunteers and people who work for the organisation should be honest. This would ensure transparency. In our organisation, we have a zero-tolerance policy and people are sent out immediately, if they are dishonest. I feel that forming a legal cell within our sector to monitor the transactions made is a waste of public money.
Now that the CBI has taken over investigation, what are your expectations?
Government intervention is welcome, but not disruption. I hope that through the CBI, the government does not harass honest people who are involved in social work. NGOs should ensure that transparency remains their top priority.
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