VOLUNTARY SOCIAL SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS (REGISTRATION AND SUPERVISION)

(1) There may be appointed for the purposes of this Act by name or by office, a Registrar of Voluntary Social Service Organizations (hereinafter referred to as the “Registrar’).

(2) There may be appointed by name or by office such number of Deputy Registrars and Assistant Registrars of Voluntary Social Service Organizations, and other officers as may be necessary for the purposes of this Act.

(3) Every Deputy Registrar or Assistant Registrar shall, in the exercise of his powers, performance of his duties and discharge of his functions, be subject to the general direction and control of the Registrar.

(4) Every Deputy Registrar or Assistant Registrar may, subject to the general direction and control of the Registrar, within the area of his jurisdiction, exercise, perform or discharge all or any of the powers, duties or functions vested in, assigned to, or imposed upon the Registrar, by or under this Act.

(a) to enter and inspect at all reasonable hours of the day, the premises of a voluntary organization registered under this Act for the purpose of ascertaining whether satisfactory standards of service are maintained in such organization;

(b) to bring to the notice of the Minister any allegation of fraud or misappropriation of funds committed by such organization ;

(c) to attend any meeting of the executive committee of such organization or a general meeting of the members of such organization, upon the written request of all or a majority of the members of the executive committee of such organization, or with the concurrence of the office bearers of such organization or the Minister. The Registrar or the officer so attending shall not have the right to vote at such meeting.

(1) The Minister may appoint a Panel consisting of six persons of standing who are not public officers.

(2) The Minister may, for the purposes of this Act, constitute a Board of Inquiry or Boards of Inquiry, each consisting of three members chosen from the Panel. The Minister may nominate one member to be the Chairman of a Board of Inquiry.

(3) The members of a Board of Inquiry shall be paid such remuneration as may be determined by the Minister in consultation with the Minister in charge of the subject of Finance.

(1) Where a matter is referred to a Board of Inquiry under section 10, such Board shall inquire and report on such matter to the Minister.

(2) The procedure for the hearing and disposal of any matter referred to such Board shall be in accordance with the regulations made in that behalf.

(3) Such Board shall submit the report on its findings to the Minister within fourteen days after the conclusion of the inquiry.

(a) to summon and compel the attendance of witnesses;

(b) to compel the production, of documents;

(c) to administer any oath or affirmation to any person.

(1) Notwithstanding the provisions contained in section 14, where a Board of Inquiry constituted under section 11 reports to the Management. Minister that there is evidence to support any allegation of fraud or misappropriation made against a voluntary organization and the Minister is satisfied that the fraud or misappropriation is of such nature as would affect the financial management of the organization and that public interest will suffer if such organization is continued to be carried on by its existing executive committee, he shall, by Order published in the Gazette, appoint an Interim Board of Management for the purpose of administering the affairs of such voluntary organization.

(2) Every Order under subsection (1) shall-

(3) Where an Interim Board of Management has been appointed in respect of any voluntary organization, such Board shall exercise, perform and discharge all the powers, duties and functions of the executive committee and such executive committee shall during the period for which the Interim Board of Management is appointed, cease to exercise, perform or discharge any such powers, duties and functions.”.

(1) The Minister may make regulations in respect of any matter required by this Act to be prescribed or in respect of which regulations are authorized by this Act to be made.

(2) Every regulation made by the Minister shall be published in the Gazette and shall come into operation on the date of such publication or on such later date as may be specified in the regulation.

(3) Every regulation made by the Minister shall, as soon as convenient after its publication in the Gazette, be brought before Parliament for approval. Any regulation which is not so approved shall be deemed to be rescinded from the date of disapproval, but without prejudice to anything previously done thereunder.

(4) Notification of the date on which any regulation made by the Minister is so deemed to be rescinded shall be published in the Gazette.

(1) Every person who willfully neglects or refuses to do any act or to furnish any information required for the purposes of this Act by the Registrar or other person duly authorized by him in that behalf, and every person who willfully or without any reasonable excuse disobeys any summons, or lawful written order issued under the provisions of this Act, or fails to furnish any information lawfully required from him by a person authorized to do so, under the provisions of this Act, shall be guilty of an offence under this Act.

(2) Every person who commits any offence referred to in subsection (1) shall, on conviction after summary trial before a Magistrate, be liable to a fine not exceeding two hundred and fifty rupees.

(a) is of a non-Governmental nature;

(b) is dependent on public contributions, charities, grants payable by the Government or donations local or foreign, in carrying out its functions;

(c) has as its main objectives, the provision of such reliefs and services as are necessary for the mentally retarded or physically disabled, the poor, the sick, the orphans and the destitutes, and the provision of relief to the needy in times of disaster,