Odisha NGOs received Rs 214 crore in foreign aid last financial year

BHUBANESWAR: NGOs in Odisha mustered over Rs 214 crore foreign grants in the last financial year, which is the highest among the tribal-dominated states in the country.

Quoting the Union home ministry’s foreign division report, Transparency International, Odisha chapter, said 1,240 NGOs in the state had received Rs 214.32 crore assistance from abroad for activities ranging from child welfare, rural development, construction and maintenance of schools, hospitals, maintenance of priests and preachers to preservation of tribal art forms.

Odisha is followed by Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Meghalaya. The least in this category is Dadra Nagar Haveli with a total grant of just Rs 1crore.

As many as 39 NGOs from Odisha have received more from over Rs one crore to Rs 17 crore during 2010-11 financial years. Bharat Integrated Social Welfare Centre (BISWA) got the highest of Rs 17.3 crore. Among the one crore plus category, Utkal Sevak Samaj is the lowest recipient with Rs 1.55 crore. Other top recipients are People’s Rural Education Movement (PREM), Prajnana Mission, Vincentian Orissa Society, Centre for Youth and Social Development (CYSD), CFI Charitable Trust, Cuttack Roman Catholic Diocesan Corporation.

Expressing concern over opacity in spending by NGOs, TI Odisha chairman Bimelendyu Mohanty called for greater transparency and suggested NGOs receiving funds for developmental activities to open themselves for social audit.Courtesy:TheTimesofIndia.