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NEW DELHI: Two days after Greenpeace campaigner Priya Pillai was offloaded from a UK-bound flight, the Centre on Tuesday said the Intelligence Bureau had on January 9 issued lookout circulars for her after it received information that her trip was sponsored by Greenpeace UK in violation of the norms of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act.
Priya Pillai
Express had first reported that Pillai’s travel expenses were borne by Greenpeace UK. A senior government official, while confirming the report, said the journey was in breach of an order the Ministry of Home Affairs had issued against the environmental group.
As per the directive, any contribution from Greenpeace International to Greenpeace India will require prior sanction from the ministry. The official said the NGO hadn’t sought permission from the ministry.
He, however, added that there was no confusion “within the establishment” over the offloading since the decision was taken by the IB after assessing the information about the Greenpeace campaigner who had been on the intelligence agency’s radar since last year, following its own report on Greenpeace activities in the country.
“As per the guidelines issued by the ministry in 2010, an IB officer of Assistant Director rank is authorised to issue lookout circulars. Sometimes the recommendation comes from a court, investigating agencies or even from police. She was offloaded as per the rules of the agency and there is no confusion about it,” the officer added.
Sources said the decision to bar her from travelling to UK had nothing to do with her earlier court cases.
She was scheduled to address British Parliamentarians on January 14 on issues related to a proposed coal mining project in Madhya Pradesh’s Mahan forest area.
Greenpeace has said Pillai was invited by British MPs to talk about the NGO’s campaign in Mahan where a proposed coal mining project “threatens to uproot the lives and livelihood of the community which lives in the area”.
'Activist's Trip Breaching FCRA Norms' -The New Indian Express
Priya Pillai
Express had first reported that Pillai’s travel expenses were borne by Greenpeace UK. A senior government official, while confirming the report, said the journey was in breach of an order the Ministry of Home Affairs had issued against the environmental group.
As per the directive, any contribution from Greenpeace International to Greenpeace India will require prior sanction from the ministry. The official said the NGO hadn’t sought permission from the ministry.
He, however, added that there was no confusion “within the establishment” over the offloading since the decision was taken by the IB after assessing the information about the Greenpeace campaigner who had been on the intelligence agency’s radar since last year, following its own report on Greenpeace activities in the country.
“As per the guidelines issued by the ministry in 2010, an IB officer of Assistant Director rank is authorised to issue lookout circulars. Sometimes the recommendation comes from a court, investigating agencies or even from police. She was offloaded as per the rules of the agency and there is no confusion about it,” the officer added.
Sources said the decision to bar her from travelling to UK had nothing to do with her earlier court cases.
She was scheduled to address British Parliamentarians on January 14 on issues related to a proposed coal mining project in Madhya Pradesh’s Mahan forest area.
Greenpeace has said Pillai was invited by British MPs to talk about the NGO’s campaign in Mahan where a proposed coal mining project “threatens to uproot the lives and livelihood of the community which lives in the area”.
'Activist's Trip Breaching FCRA Norms' -The New Indian Express
