Govt takes action against 26 NGOs, 14 foreign donors

[Hindustani78]

MHA serves notice to two NGOs run by Teesta Setalvad | Zee News
Last Updated: Friday, June 19, 2015 - 15:08

New Delhi: Two NGOs run by social activist Teesta Setalvad and her husband have been served notice by Home Ministry for alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) and asked to reply within 15 days.

Sabarang Trust and Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), run by Teesta and her husband Javed Anand, were served the notice two days ago following an on-site inspection of records and books of accounts carried out by Home Ministry officials in April this year.

Sources said during the probe it was found that they were running a magazine Communalism Combat as co-editors as well as printer and publisher of their company Sabrang Communication and Publishing Pvt Ltd (SCPPL) and allegedly received foreign contribution.

Under the FCRA, no foreign contribution shall be accepted by any correspondent, columnist, cartoonist, editor, owner, printer or publisher of a registered newspaper.

CJP, which has been fighting cases for victims of 2002 Gujarat riots, had received a total foreign contribution of around Rs 1.18 crore from 2008-09 to 2013-14. According to notice, more than 80 per cent or nearly Rs 95 lakh was spent for legal aid.

While the entity was registered for 'Educational and Economic' purposes, it received foreign contribution for activities such as 'Legal Aid' which is covered under purpose 'Social'. Hence, it violated the provisions of the FCRA rules, they contended.

PTI

 

[Hindustani78]

Tamil Nadu government issues show-cause notice to Greenpeace India - The Hindu
Updated: June 19, 2015 19:46 IST
The green body claimed that the show-cause notice dated June 16 is in response to an inspection of the NGO’s office in Chennai.
Mired in controversy, Greenpeace India on Friday claimed it had received a show-cause notice by Tamil Nadu government threatening cancellation of its registration due to questions over its operations and funding.

The green body claimed that the show-cause notice dated June 16 is in response to an inspection of the NGO’s office in Chennai on June 3 by the Registrar of Societies of the Tamil Nadu government.

“Greenpeace India has been sent a show-cause notice threatening cancellation of the NGO’s society registration due to questions over its operations and funding,” an NGO statement said.

It said that the inspection on June 3 had the intention to look into the organisation’s society status — the legal basis on which Greenpeace operates in India.

“Greenpeace respects the law and we have cooperated with the authorities. We are confident that we will be able to address the issues raised by the Registrar and prove beyond doubt we have acted within the law,” said Divya Raghunandan, programme director, Greenpeace India.

On June 3, the NGO had claimed that its office was inspected by a team of investigators from Tamil Nadu government and had termed the move as “orchestrated” by those who are “frustrated” by its resilience.

The green body had said the investigators refused to submit their request in writing but verbally confirmed that they were looking into the organisation’s society status.

The government had earlier barred Greenpeace India from receiving foreign funds by suspending its licence for six months and freezing all its accounts after alleging that it has “prejudicially” affected the country’s interests.

In a relief to the NGO, Delhi High Court had recently allowed it to use two of its accounts for the purpose of receiving and utilising fresh domestic donations for its day-to-day functioning, telling the government it cannot choke them of their funds.

 

[Hindustani78]

SPS has replied to ED notice, says Hiremath
June 20, 2015, Dharwad, dhns:
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which has issued notices to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) receiving foreign funds, has served a notice on Samaj Parivarthan Samudaya (SPS) asking details of foreing funds utilisation. The SPS received the notice on June 14 and it has submitted its reply to the ED on June 15.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, SPS senior advisor S R Hiremath said: “Iron ore industrialist Tapal Ganesh had filed a complaint against the SPS that it has misused foreign funds. Based on the complaint, the State government had ordered a CID inquiry. Later, the government had referred the matter to the ED as the NGOs receiving foreign funds doesn’t come under its purview. Therefore, the ED had issued the notice and the SPS has already replied to the notice,” he said.

Foreign funding

He said, the SPS received about Rs 15 lakh to Rs 25 lakh from foreign funding agencies annually. The ED was satisfied from the reply given by the SPS, he said.

Hiremath said, he had retired from the SPS president’s post in 2009. Now, F B Habib was handling the affairs of the SPS.

Some politicians are conspiring to suppress the SPS as it has launched a crusade against illegalities in which they (politicians) are involved. They have been levelling false allegations against the SPS. The SPS has maintained transparency in its transactions and it is ready to face any probe, he said.

 

[Hindustani78]

Govt brings out dos and don'ts for NGOs
New Delhi, June 21, 2015, DHNS:

NGOs will have to give an undertaking that they will not indulge in any activities that will “prejudicially” affect the security, strategic, scientific and economic interests of the country, according to draft amendments to Foreign Contribution Regulation Rules (FCRR).

The move comes against the backdrop of the government’s actions against Greenpeace India, Ford Foundation and NGOs involved in the protest against Kudankulam nuclear project earlier.

The existing declaration in the form, through which NGOs submit the account of foreign contribution for every fiscal, is a generic one that promises that the furnished details are “true and correct” and the foreign funds were used for the purpose for which permission was granted.

However, the proposed changes in FCRR 2011 want the NGOs to give a declaration that the foreign funds it received were not used for activities that were “detrimental to national interest”.

They also have to certify that their activities were “not likely to affect prejudicially public interest” and “not likely to affect prejudicially the security, strategic, scientific or economic interest” of the state.

Fear of misuse

Activists opined that these provisions give official machinery a chance to “misuse” and “harass” the civil society groups.

Officials claimed that organisations receiving foreign funds utilised the money against the “economic” interests of the country in some cases.

While serving show-cause notice to Greenpeace India, the Union Home Ministry had in April said that it had used foreign funds for “protest creation” and acted against

the economic interests of the country. It also put Ford Foundation on prior permission list after it was found that some NGOs receiving funds from the Foundation were not submitting accounts.

In the recent past, the ministry had cancelled permission to about 9,000 NGOs to receive foreign funds after they did not submit annual financial reports as mandated by the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).

 

[Hindustani78]

Govt cancels licences of 2,406 NGOs | Zee News
Last Updated: Tuesday, June 23, 2015 - 22:08
New Delhi: In a fresh move, the government has cancelled the licences of 2,406 Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) across the country, which includes entities that run schools and hospitals.

In the wake of the cancellation of their registrations, the NGOs would not be able to receive foreign funds.

According to official data, Maharashtra tops the list with the cancellation of licences of 964 NGOs followed by Uttar Pradesh with 740 and Karnataka with 614. The licences of 88 NGOs were cancelled in Tamil Nadu.

These cancellations have taken place between June 19 till today, officials said.

The decision to cancel the registration of these entities under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act was taken by the Union Home Ministry after the NGOs allegedly failed to submit their annual returns and in view of other anomalies.

All the organisations were given proper notice by the Foreigners' Division of the Home Ministry with adequate time to reply before their FCRA licences were cancelled, official sources said.

Meanwhile, in a related move, Caritas International, linked to the Vatican, may be put on a watch list and it would have to seek prior permission before receiving funds from abroad, official sources said, adding that the bankers of the NGO would be notifying them.

However, a spokesman for the NGO denied having received any such notice and said that the organisation has complied with all laid-down norms.

In two earlier rounds of crackdown this year, licences of nearly 13,470 NGOs were cancelled for alleged violation of FCRA.

PTI

 

[Hindustani78]

CBI to probe foreign funds to Teesta-linked firm, bank A/C frozen
New Delhi, Jun 26, 2015 (PTI)
In fresh trouble for social activist Teesta Setalvad, government today asked CBI to probe the receipt of over Rs 3 crore by private firm Sabrang Communication and Publishing Pvt Limited (SCPPL) linked to her from foreign donors, including US-based Ford Foundation, in alleged violation of FCRA rules.

In a parallel move, government froze the bank account of the firm located in Juhu, Mumbai, as the Home Ministry claimed that the firm was not authorised to receive funds from abroad as it was not registered under Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA).

SCPPL had received foreign donation of USD 2,90,000 and Rs 1.30 crore in "contravention" of FCRA and without getting clearance of the Home Ministry, said the Ministry's letter to CBI said while ordering a probe.

According to rules, a private firm can accept donations from overseas only if it is registered under FCRA.

The Ministry also asked IDBI Bank to freeze an account of the firm and not to allow further credit and withdrawal of foreign contribution without its permission, it said.

A number of violations of rules and discrepancies were noticed by Home Ministry officials who had conducted an inspection between June 8-10 of the accounts and records of the firm for the period 2006-07 to 2014-15 at its Mumbai office.

Efforts to contact Setalvad for her comments failed. She did not reply to SMS sent to her mobile. However, earlier she had said in a statement that Sabrang Trust had co-operated with the ministry's inspection team.

 

[Hindustani78]

Teesta moves HC for de-freezing bank accounts

Ahmedabad, Jun 27, 2015 (PTI)

Social activist Teesta Setalvad and her husband Javed Anand have approached the Gujarat High Court for de-freezing the bank accounts of their two NGOs - Sabrang trust and Citizens for Justice and Peace.

The bank accounts of Setalvad, Anand and the two NGOs were frozen by the city crime branch last year, soon after it began investigating an alleged embezzlement case wherein she was said to have collected Rs 1.51 crore from national and international donors promising to convert Gulbarg society to 2002 riots museum but later used the money for personal use.

Setalvad along with others had filed the plea before the High Court on June 24 and it is likely to come up for hearing before Justice Sonia Gokani on July 10.


They had challenged the order of a city metropolitan court, which had last November rejected their pleas to de-freeze the bank accounts and observed it may affect the investigation of the case.

The lower court in its order had also observed that the accused did not cooperate with the investigation of the case.

One of the residents of Gulbarg Society, Firoz Khan Pathan had filed a complaint against Setalwad and others alleging that money was raised to make a museum at Gulbarg Society in memory of those who were killed during the 2002 Gujarat riots but it had not been utilised for the purpose.

On January 5 last year, an FIR was lodged under IPC Section 120 (B) for criminal conspiracy, Section 406 (fraud) and Section 420 (cheating) against Setalwad, Anand, Tanvir Jafri, son of slain Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, chairman of Gulberg society Salim Sandhi and secretary of the society Feroz Gulzar for allegedly usurping Rs 1.51 crore.

Yesterday, the Centre had asked CBI to probe the receipt of over Rs 3 crore by her private firm Sabrang Communication and Publishing Pvt Limited (SCPPL) linked to her from foreign donors, including US-based Ford Foundation, in alleged violation of FCRA rules.

Government had also frozen the bank account of the firm located in Juhu, Mumbai, as the Home Ministry claimed that the firm was not authorised to receive funds from abroad as it was not registered under Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA).

 

[Hindustani78]

Last Updated: Monday, July 6, 2015 - 23:00
US conveyed to India concern over crackdown on NGOs | Zee News


New Delhi: The United States is understood to have conveyed its concern over India's crackdown on various NGOs and donors, including US-based Ford Foundation.


US diplomats based in New Delhi met government officials and were believed to have sought clarification on the Home Ministry's action against Ford Foundation and Greenpeace India, following alleged violation of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).

Official sources said India's Ambassador to the US Arun Kumar Singh also met Union Home Secretary L C Goyal on July 4 and was said to have conveyed American government's concern.

Ford Foundation and Greenpeace India's parent body Greenpeace International are based in the US.

Sources said Ford Foundation has funded a political party and profit-making organisations "illegally", which has resulted in the foreign outfit coming under the Home Ministry scanner and put on the "watch list".

Greenpeace India was allegedly involved in ant-government activities leading to the suspension of its FCRA licence and blocking of bank accounts.

The Home Ministry officials made it clear that all NGOs and donors have to work within the framework of Indian laws and no 'genuine' NGOs will be harassed.

In a recent interview, US Ambassador to India Richard Rahul Verma had said that American officials were having dialogue with Indian officials on the issue of NGOs.

"We also want this rich tradition of civil society to continue and attract the best talent and best contributions. That is the dialogue we are having. It has been a good dialogue and an important dialogue.

"We had a very good dialogue with the government. It is an important issue. Both of our countries have such a rich tradition of a robust civil society. We collectively need our civil society for all the work they do in literacy, health and education. It is vitally important for India and the US. It is also important that NGOs be legally compliant," Verma has said.

In recent past, the Home Ministry took a series of action against various NGOs including Greenpeace India, two NGOs run by social activist Teesta Setalvad, cancelled the registration of more than 10,000 NGOs and put Ford Foundation under "watch list" for allegedly violating provisions of FCRA.

PTI

 

[Hindustani78]

Ford Foundation funding dries up as Modi govt clamps down on NGOs | Zee News

Last Updated: Tuesday, July 14, 2015 - 17:48

New Delhi: A leading global charity has frozen $4 million in funding to India, squeezing aid to the poor, after a clampdown by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on donors deemed to be meddling in domestic politics that has raised concern in Washington.


The government restrictions on the U.S.-based Ford Foundation relate to a $250,000 grant to a vocal Modi critic, but a top official at the charity said the fallout has hit projects that fight child marriage, provide clean water in slums and feed pregnant women."We don`t want to move ahead until the time we are clear about the rules and nothing we do is viewed as illegal," the official said, requesting anonymity as he did not want to jeopardise talks with the government.

The Ford Foundation has donated more than $500 million to India since opening its first overseas office in Delhi in 1952. Its headquarters in New York did not respond to requests for comment about the decision to hold back funds.

India has toughened rules governing charities, and this year the government cancelled the registration of nearly 9,000 groups for failing to declare details of overseas donations.

Modi`s government has accused foreign charities of trying to hamper industrial projects on social and environmental grounds, and he has criticised what he called "five-star activists."

Greenpeace India is among those affected, with bank accounts frozen and travel restrictions on some workers after it campaigned against issues including coal mining and nuclear power, areas Modi sees as key to economic growth.

Under a proposed law, foreign-funded NGOs face more regulatory hurdles and must agree their work will not be "detrimental to the national interest." Activists say the term is not clearly defined, leaving it open to abuse.
"CHILLING EFFECT"

Amid the crackdown, the home ministry put the $12.5 billion Ford Foundation on a watch list this year over funding it gave to activist Teesta Setalvad in 2009.

At the time she was pursuing legal cases against Modi, accusing him of failing to stop anti-Muslim rioting that killed at least 1,000 people when he was chief minister of Gujarat.

Modi denies the charges and was exonerated in an Indian Supreme Court inquiry in 2012.

On Tuesday, federal investigators raided Setalvad`s home after filing a criminal case against her last week for allegedly misusing the Ford Foundation grant. She could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.

B.K. Prasad, the official overseeing the home ministry`s new approach, told Reuters the government had no intention of forcing NGOs to close.

"But we have every right to streamline their work," he said. "This attitude that nobody can question influential foreign donors must be put to an end."

U.S. Ambassador Richard Verma has said the United States was in dialogue with India on the matter, and he warned that the tougher approach may have a "chilling effect" on civil society and democratic traditions.

There are signs that may be happening already. At a meeting in New Delhi a week ago, the Ford Foundation told groups it funds to avoid words like "governance", "advocacy" or "human rights" in reports and proposals, said a person who attended.

Among NGOs hit by the Ford Foundation`s funding freeze is the Joint Women`s Programme, which campaigns for the empowerment of women and children. Last year, Ford Foundation accounts show it gave $30,000 to the NGO, run by a 77-year-old retired professor of English, that helped set up a computer training centre and hire three teachers for 160 children in a slum near Delhi.This year the NGO was due another tranche that has not come through, so it halved the number of children it looks after and can no longer afford to provide kids with fruit and milk.

"I have told the parents there is a possibility we have to close down," said Jyotsna Chatterji, director of the organisation. "It is a shame that the children are the ones having to suffer."

Reuters

 

[uparyupari]

LOL..... So Ford Foundation is giving Fruits and Milk to children ? .......... why not KFC chicken ? Poor Jyotsna Chatterji will not have to beg secular leaders like Mamata Banerjee for funds

 

[Hindustani78]

Govt cancels Greenpeace India's FCRA licence | Zee News

New Delhi: In yet another crackdown on NGOs, government on Thursday cancelled the registration of Greenpeace India under the Foreign Contribution Regulations Act (FCRA) for its activities which allegedly hampered country's economic growth.


The Greenpeace India's registration has been cancelled under Section 13 of the FCRA, a senior Home Ministry official told PTI tonight.

The decision would mean that the NGO will not be able to receive from abroad the funds, which are upto 30 per cent of its overall cost of operations.

The Home Ministry is likely to inform the Delhi High Court about its decision tomorrow when a case related to curbs on Greenpeace India comes up.

Greenpeace India has about 340 people working with it.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Home Affairs
06-February, 2018 16:39 IST
NGOs registered under FCRA

Approximately 29700 Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) are registered under the Foreign Contributions (Regulation) Act, 2010.

Vide Notice dated 21.12.2017, the Government has directed that all persons who are either registered or who have sought prior permission under the FCRA, 2010 shall open their bank accounts as mandated in section 17 of the FCRA, 2010 in any of the 32 banks who are already integrated with the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) for providing a higher level of transparency and hassle-free reporting compliance.

The registration of 14,938 NGOs have been cancelled since 2014.

This was stated by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijuju in a written reply to question in the Lok Sabha today.



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[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Social Justice & Empowermen
t06-March, 2018 15:04 IST
Registered NGOs For Grants in Aid from Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment launched a portal viz. www.ngograntssje@gov.in for mandatory online submission and processing of grants in aid applications of NGOs, w.e.f. 01-04-2014. As on date 15583 NGOs are registered on the portal of which 6458 are in operation.



The total numbers of NGOs who have been provided funds are as follows:-

During

2015-16
1447

During

2016-17
1476

During

2017-18 [Upto 28-02-2018]
1053



The accounts of NGOs are audited by chartered accountants as per the guidelines of the schemes under which grants are given to the NGOs. The Ministry does not empanel chartered accountants for this purpose. After release of grants-in-aid to NGOs, the final accounts for a financial year are required to be rendered by them with utilization certificate and audited accounts signed by a chartered accountant within six months of the close of the financial year. In case the NGOs (i) do not get their accounts audited (ii) do not follow the norms, and (iii) do not maintain their accounts properly then no further grants-in-aid is released to that NGO. Also, the Ministry can initiate action to blacklist such organization and take legal action for recovery of funds released to them.



This information was given by Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri Vijay Sampla in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.



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[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Home Affairs
09-March, 2018 20:26 IST
Civil society and NGOs have a vital role to play in development of the country: Shri Rajnath Singh

Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh has said the civil society and NGOs have a vital role to play in development of the country. Addressing a function in NOIDA today, he said for a developed India we need to work together. Shri Rajnath Singh said he has witnessed NGOs working in remote inaccessible parts of LWE-affected regions where even the local administration finds it difficult to reach.

Shri Rajnath Singh said the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has directed focus on the development of 115 aspirational districts which are lowly ranked on the development index.

The Union Home Minister said while India ranks 8th in the world in terms of GDP and third by Purchasing Power Parity, sadly we are placed a lowly 131 out of 188 countries in the Human Development Index. To fulfil Prime Minister's Vision India 2022, Shri Rajnath Singh said we need not only a high GDP but also a high Gross Domestic Prosperity index.

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[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Home Affairs
03-April, 2018 18:26 IST
Cancellation of FCRA Registration

Registration of more than 14000 Non GovernmentalOrganisations (NGOs) have been cancelled during the last four years under The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010. The institution/state-wise details are available on the website www.fcraonline.nic.in of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The complaints received in this regard from the Non GovernmentalOrganisation (NGOs) are examined and redressed in this Ministry as per the provisions of the FCRA, 2010 and the Rules made there under.

This was stated by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri KirenRijiju in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

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