NGOs issue: SC seeks response from TN, Telangana

The Supreme Court today sought response from Tamil Nadu and Telangana for not providing details to the CBI about all registered NGOs in two states and whether they have filed balance sheets before the authorities.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu issued notices to the two states and posted the matter for hearing after two weeks even as the CBI submitted that out of 22,39,971 NGOs in 20 states, approximately 2,23,428 of them have filed their balance sheets with the authorities concerned.
The agency, which also gave the figures of Union Territories and stated that out of 5,684 NGOs, 50 have submitted their returns, sought extension of three more months for compiling entire information received from states and UTs.

CBI also sought direction for states and UTs to provide requisite information through internet.
During the brief hearing, Additional Solicitor General P S Patwalia said the NGOs will not be eligible for any grant unless they comply with the condition of filing statement of income expenditure of last three years.
However, the bench, also comprising Justices A K Sikri and R K Agrawal, said "all the statements made here has to be in black and white".

The apex court had expanded the scope of the PIL which was filed in 2011 by advocate M L Sharma against an NGO, Hind Swaraj Trust, run by anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare.

The PIL had sought probe into alleged embezzlement of funds.
CBI also told the bench that Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Union Territory of Delhi have only furnished part information and reminders have been sent to them.
The agency filed an affidavit in compliance with the September 2, 2013 order and an annexure in it stated that out of 97,437 NGOs in Assam, none have filed their balance sheets.
Goa, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura and Himachal Pradesh are the other states where the NGOs have not filed their balance sheets.