The Cabinet decision dated May 29 for an amendment of the Societies Registration (SR) Act, 1860 has far-reaching implications for the voluntary sector, civil society bodies and citizen action groups of our State.
We are indeed surprised that when the fight against Covid-19 pandemic requires a greater partnership between them and the Government, such a move is being floated to put a check on them," said a memorandum to the CM by NGOs in Rayagada.The decision is likely to affect countless voluntary organisations including Yuvak Sanghs, Mahila Samitis, Self-Help Group Federations, Sports Clubs functioning in villages and towns across the State, it added.
The NGOs wondered whether the present institutional mechanism of the district administration would be able to handle the stupendous volume of work involving registration.
Further, it was mentioned in the statement that the voluntary organizations at local level having no professional staff and adequate infrastructure would find it difficult to cope up with the heavy burden of technical requirements for renewal of registrations in every five years. It was apprehended that such a new dispensation would lead to stifling of voices of the civil society.
The Supreme Court along with the whole spectrum of intelligentsia has highly appreciated the unique, innovative, and dedicated role of the voluntary sector in dealing with the Covid-19.
Issues of the migrant workers and assisting the Panchayat bodies in Covid management were addressed deftly.
In the context of the above concerns, Rayagada NGOs urged the CM to reconsider the Cabinet decision on amendment of the SR Act 1860 pertaining to renewal of registration.