The accusations against Kiran Bedi of the India Against Corruption movement reveals a different face of the NGO. She is accused of having claimed full ticket charges when she was getting subsidised air tickets thanks to her gallentry award subsidies on air fare. But she used the funds for her social work.
Is this method to raise funds for her work justified? Her colleagues have justified it saying ends justify the means.
Does this show fund crunch among NGOs? Is this justified? Need your views.
Sreelatha Menon
(journalist)
I have been checking out some of your stories and i must say pretty nice stuff. I will definitely bookmark your blog.
Critical reactions to what Kiran Bedi has done or not done smack a lot of sanctimonious hand wringing & taking of moral high ground. When I know of and see children competing with the pigs and dogs in garbage dumps for something to eat and ask a donor to allow me to use a tiny bit of the resources they have given me for children’s welfare, I usually get a “no” for an answer. I am told in some 5-star workshop that they cannot help in such cases because the intervention wasn’t originally included in the ‘project outline’! Today, NGOs have to put up with a general lack of caring, donor driven activities and budget realization priorities. Good social workers are now half baked bureaucrats. Even Mother Teresa caught flak for taking money from a Caribbean despot – because people thought she was not careful about the ‘color’ of the money she took. So where does all this end … usually in a lot of hot air. So easy to criticise – so hard to do something.
Should the NGOs also be accountable to a Lok Pal like body? Should the RTI apply to them too? Maybe the NGOs LokPal should be outside the Govt and set up by the NGOs and civil society people themselves.
Dear All,
I do not agree with the way the funds were raised. As far as my understanding goes this is a unethical practice. It amounts to doing business with your own organization. This is against the ethics of the sector. Also the trustee being the travel agent also amunts to conflict on interest.
This is shameful for the people trying to eradicate corruption.
Hi
I dont think what Kiren Bedi has done is correct when she fight against the so called BIG and Politicians corruption. The other members like Kjeriwal also will not find it wrong as he himself did some fund mismanagement from the donations for the Anna move. Even Anna is in question according to various reports.
People who start some movement like this must have absolute credibility and they must not have any other political and EGO problems. I find both these problems with most of these people (though no human is absolutely perfect). Especially Kiren Bedis and Kjeriwals utterance of foul language was another example for their credibility of public work in question!!!!. The whole episode of Anna move was good as far as to sensitise people against corruption but the motive behind of most of the group members are in question? Anna may be different, a good old man who has some ideals !
This is my feeling which you may not agree or you may be expecting a positive word for Kiren Bedi, I wonder!!!!!!!
Philip Mathew
Retired Teacher.
Dear all,
I support the anti corruption movement very strongly and participation of Kiron Bedi in it. However, saving the money out of the travel charges received for what ever reasons can not be justified. Her’s is a self justification.She should maintain high moral standards in public life and submit apologies for what has happened. Good wishes.
Satyadeo Bareth
Jaipur
09829369834
Dear
No NOT at all …This is not the way one should raise funds for any NGO. This can not be justified
Regards
asif
AUM
Der Ayad Durust ayad; one has come late but he has arrived at the right place and right time to do the right job. DEEPAWALI KI SHUBH KAMNAYEN
CHITRANJAN SAWANT
This is a non-transparent and unethical practice and no good motive can justify it. I really don’t think that one should indulge in such practices even in acute fund crisis.
Regards,
Soumitra Ghosh
Founder CEO
http://www.csopartners.org.in
+91-44-4211-2256
We are falling prey to attempts of politicians.
All we should be asking is “WILL A STRONG ANTI-CORRUPTION BILL BE PASSED?”
Rest is all diversionary tactics….
Umesh
From: ajoseph@bcfindia.org
Date: Tue Oct 25, 2011 6:44 am
Subject: Re: [srrf-dialogue] Clarification received from Ministry on "Transfer of Funds" ajoseph@bcfindia.org
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Ngos struggle daily trying to make ends meet. The govt and tax authorities are trying to stifle the sector through new fcra and notices,etc. Pl understand ngos do not make profit. They work for the larger social good. Yet they are penalised at every step. I agree with kiran bedi and support her fight against corruption. This is to harass her. She did not use it for personal gain. In addition to working hard ngos have to go and waste time finding scarce resources. Then all authorities go against them. No recognition of hard work done. Her ngo has done good work. Most of the most innovative work came from ngos from rti to watershed etc. India should be proud of its civil society. It is only democracy and civil society that sets india apart. Time ngo sector gets its due and activists.
Amita
NGOs will always be in funds crunch given the huge amount of work to be done. But what is key is how n where we draw the line. Each NGO does its best. Javing made its choices, it must be prepared to face the consequences.
In this instance, if one of the objectives of the NGO is to improve probity in public life n governance, it has done itself a disservice by opting to raise resources this way. I work for an international NGO where one can lose one’s job over a false travel claim. This is the reality of NGO work.
Gurumani
No, in my personal view, this is morally incorrect and in effect dishonest and fraudulent.
Regards,
Anup S. Khosla
Chief Financial Officer
HelpAge India
C-14, Qutab Institutional Area
New Delhi 110 016