In order to streamline the conduct and declared business of the Societies and NGOs, the State Administrative Council (SAC) which met here today under the Chairmanship of Governor, N.N. Vohra, approved the Jammu and Kashmir Societies Registration (Amendment) Act, 2016.In recent times, it had been observed that there has been a mushroom growth of NGOs/Societies under Societies Registration Act and there are increasing allegations /complaints against many registered NGOs/Societies for indulging into different unreasonable activities. Some of the NGOs/Societies have also been noticed to have carried out financial irregularities /misappropriation /uncalled for dealings.The existing Jammu and Kashmir Societies Registration Act, 1998 (1941 A.D.), Act No. VI of Svt. 1998, which was enacted to provide for the registration of Literary, Scientific (Charitable and other Societies) had no provision for de-registration which made it difficult to deal with various types of complaints/allegations against many registered NGOs/Societies.
Now, in order to streamline the conduct and declared business of the Societies and NGOs, the amendments in J&K Societies Registration Act, 1998 (1940 AD) were proposed by Industries and Commerce Department.Under this provision of de-registration, the Societies/NGOs can be de-registered on the grounds of indulging into other activities other than those for which it has been registered, indulges in activity pre-judicial to the security of the State or maintenance of law and order in the State, if the accounts of the Society are not audited by a certified Chartered Accountant annually and on the basis of verified complaints of malpractices. The order of deregistration of any Society shall not be passed unless the Society has been given an opportunity of showing cause against the action proposed to be taken in regard to it and the cause, if any shown, has been considered by the Registrar. Moreover, an appeal against an order made under Sub Section-(1) may be preferred to the Government within one month from the date of communication of such order.