Fake NGOs applying under scheme

The women and child development ministry has decided to upload the names of all the fake NGOs on its site, an official said

New Delhi, April 2: In an alarming revelation, the women and child development ministry ( WCD) found that nearly 90 per cent of around 1,400 NGOs seeking financial grant under a major training and employment scheme were “fake”.

Top officials in the ministry said applications were invited from NGOs to impart skill development training to women in rural areas under its Support to Training and Employment Programme ( STEP) which has a cor- pus of ` 30 crore.

“We had received 1,400 to 1,500 applications of which 90 per cent are found to be fake. The scrutiny of applications revealed that most of the NGOs have applied multiple times giving false names and details,” a senior official told PTI.

Step is a major programme being implemented by WCD ministry, aimed at providing employability skills to women.

The official said that the ministry has decided to upload the names of all the fake NGOs on its website so that they can be “exposed” and identified” by other ministries as well.

The last date of submission of project proposals by the NGOs for financial assistance under the scheme for 2015- 16 was March 31.

Applications have been sought by the ministry from the NGOs after the scheme was revised by WCD minister Maneka Gandhi to improve its implementation.

“The names will be uploaded on our website soon. We want to expose them for trying to cheat the authorities as we have people who check each application and are quick to spot fake ones,” the official said.