Allahabad HC wants timely release of funds to NGO

Lucknow, Oct 23 (IANS) The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has instructed the concerned ministries of the Central and state governments to resolve their issues promptly so that funds under the Mission Vatsalya can be released without further delay.

A division bench consisting of Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Jaspreet Singh on Saturday expressed serious concern over the delayed release of funds to NGOs like Drishti Samajik Sansthan and similar organisations.

Furthermore, the court directed the state government to release funds under the centrally sponsored Mission Vatsalya scheme to the concerned NGOs from the date it was initially notified by the Union government.

It emphasised that the release should not be delayed until one year later when the state government issued a government order for it on July 17, 2023.

This order was issued in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Anoop Gupta.

The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development had launched the Mission Vatsalya scheme on April 1, 2022. Under this scheme, the Union government contributes 60 per cent of the funds, while the state government contributes 40 per cent.

The scheme, formerly known as the Child Protection Services Scheme, aims to promote the welfare and rehabilitation of children facing challenging circumstances. It encompasses all child protection homes, whether government or privately operated.

During the court hearing, Puneet Kumar Mishra, deputy director of the Women and Child Welfare department of the state government, explained that the delay in fund release was due to the Central government, as it had released its 60 per cent share late, causing a delay on the part of the state government.

The court also directed the legal representatives of both the state government and the Central government to inform the court about the steps they have taken to expedite the fund release during the next hearing, scheduled for November 24.