The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to either come up with a legislation or implement the new guidelines to give more teeth to authorities for regulating the activities and utilisation of grants by over 32 lakh voluntary organisations or NGOs in the country.
A bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and D Y Chandrachud said yesterday, that the government has to take a fair decision as the court has already passed certain directions in this regard.
The bench asked the government to implement the directions or give more teeth to the authorities adding that these were very serious issues.
Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that he needed four weeks to seek instructions as whether the government intends to bring in a legislation, as a decision will have to be taken at a highest level.
The bench said that even without any law, the government can initiate civil and criminal action against the NGOs who misuse government grants. The court granted four weeks time to the Centre to file its response.
The Centre had earlier informed the apex court that it has framed new guidelines to regulate the activities of and grants given to the NGOs and voluntary organisations or VOs.