LAHORE: The Punjab government has questioned the IG Police to explain Punjab Police Executive Board’s move to impose verification fee on NGOs by the Special Branch — following an outcry by the home, industries and social welfare departments.

The Punjab government says imposition of fee against services is not the mandate of the Police Executive Board but it comes within the the purview of the government, which comprises the chief minister and the cabinet.

The Punjab Police Executive Board, during the caretaker government last year, had approved Rs10,000 verification fee for Special Branch for verification of NGOs/ INGOs, societies, foundations, associations, organisations, churches, ministries, press clubs, trust deeds and office-bearers of NGOs/INGOs.

Following a huge number of complaints lodged by the private security companies and NGOs, the home department had written a letter to the IG Police in December last seeking clarification that under which law and rules the verification fee had been imposed because imposition of fee against services is not the mandate of the Police Executive Board but the government.

Says step is outside purview of police executive board

The Punjab home department had even moved a summary to the chief minister on Feb 1 this year on the request of the social welfare department routed through the Board of Revenue, industries and the social welfare departments. “All departments did not support the imposition of a verification fee of Rs10,000 charged by the Special Branch,” says the home department’s communication with the IG Police.

The home department told the IGP on April 23 that the chief minister had desired the administrative department to quote the relevant provisions of law under which the Police Executive Board had approved Rs10,000 verification fee for all categories of NGOs charged by the Special Branch.

In the summary to the chief minister, available with Dawn, the home department stated that it held a meeting with all stakeholders in January this year and it was highlighted that such a fee could not be imposed without obtaining prior approval of the government. “During the process of registration by the relevant authorities, fees are already being charged under relevant laws, which includes the verification process,” says the summary.

The Board of Revenue’s view quoted in the summary acknowledged that the fee could not be charged without obtaining approval of the government. Furthermore, the SMBR [senior member board of revenue] stated, “Philanthropy is a noble cause as mostly NGOs are dependent on public donations and they do not have ample resources and such imposition of fee will discourage the individuals working for the welfare of the poor and needy segment of society”.

The industries department secretary stated, “The home department, for grant of NOC, seeks verification of cases from CTD and Special Branch requiring checking of particulars of applicants in available CROs and lists of Fourth Schedulers by home department and involves no physical activity in the verification process.”

The industries department secretary also observed that imposition of fee on the organisations that did not have any donor base and primarily working for the promotion of social, cultural, and literary pursuits would be tantamount to discouraging citizens from making and running societies for the common good. Hence, the department did not support the imposition of a new verification fee.

Similarly, the social welfare and Baitul Maal department secretary stated that the new verification fee was not justified as the government was already charging them the registration fees and most of the NGOs were performing philanthropic activities at local level across the province and needed to be facilitated or promoted instead of charging heavy fees on one pretext or the other.

The home department had last week again sought the IG Police “to quote the relevant provisions of law immediately for resubmission of the summary to the chief minister.”

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2024