The grants given to registered voluntary institutions during the four Plans indicate that Government's dependence on these bodies has registered a decline during the Third and Fourth Plans. Voluntary welfare programmes co-exist with governmental programmes and provide a supportive base to them since it is not possible for government to look after all the welfare needs of the people. Voluntary organizations, whose basic assets are flexibility, and greater capacity for experimentation, nearness to the people, are sensitivity to new problems could be of great assistance. Few organizations have worked among rural women. In some cases, the grant was given for administration and maintenance while, in other cases, for programmes only.
Apart from the CSWB's grants-in-aid programme, there is no machinery to co-ordinate the efforts of these agencies and ensure even distribution. The resources of majority of these organizations are inadequate to maintain trained staff. The relative importance of the role of the State and the role of voluntary agencies has been engaging attention of the planners, policy-makers, administrators and social workers, but this is hardly an either-or issue. What is needed is a well-coordinated effort on both fronts
Last modified: Thursday, 16 February 2012, 9:44 AM