KOCHI: Soon, the functioning of NGOs in Kerala will be streamlined through an accreditation process to associate NGOs with the functioning of government such as running care homes for children, women, elderly and the differently abled.
Providing shelter to the victims of domestic violence and for cured/controlled mental patients too will come into the ambit of the plan.
Arguably a first of its kind exercise in the country, now on, the NGOs will be segregated by the Department of Social Justice as accredited and non-accredited based on the NGO policy that came into existence in 2013.
It would also cover homes run under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act of 2000 and the orphanages and other charitable homes, shelter for survivors of sexual trafficking and sexual violence.
“The accreditation process is in the final stage. A council consisting of legal educator M R Madhava Menon, KILA director P P Balan and secretaries of various government departments is doing the accreditation with the technical support of Kerala centre of Tata Institute of Social Sciences Mumbai. A total of 46 NGOs had applied for the accreditation among which 18 were selected to go through the accreditation process,” said SJD director V N Jithendran.
The accreditation, granted on merit basis, is valid for two years.