Soni promises help to NGOs unfairly delisted by govt

Soni said this at an award function held to honour the country's leading NGOs where one of the delegates pointed out that a large number of organisations had been delisted by the government for various reasons.

"I was told about 4000 NGOs have been delisted. 1.3 million registered NGOs, a large number of unregistered NGOs, even then 4000 still is too much," Soni said.

"I am sure some of you have used the RTI route to find out why they got unlisted. And if you involve me in your efforts to find out why they got unlisted, if some were wrongly delisted, I would like to help you to the maximum extent possible," she added.

Soni said the RTI Act itself was an outcome of the civil society's efforts and was a law which had really empowered the people.

The government had also for the first time created a role for the civil society in the government by creating a National Advisory Council, she said.

"You are aware of the fact that President of my party Srimati Sonia Gandhi led the party in the election. People thought that she would be a candidate for Prime Ministership but she chose to head the alliance constituting of NGOs of eminent people who had worked for years in order to keep the government on as they say 'terra firma' and to raise the voice of civil society whenever necessary," she said.

She also said MNREGA, which had gone a long way in empowering the youth of rural India, was a joint venture between the civil society and Parliament representatives to ensure 100 day employment to rural people.