The Home Ministry headed by Union Minister Amit Shah seems to be tightening the noose around NGOs registered under FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act). Vide a new notification, the Home Ministry had said that NGOs that get foreign funding need to seek approval from the government in case their key functionaries or office-bearers change.
The notification says that all NGOs that have got their registration under section 11 and 12 of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act 2010 had submitted details of the key functionaries and office-bearers at the time of applying for registration.
However, recently, several NGOs have changed their key functionaries or office-bearers after acquiring their registration without notifying and seeking approval from the government. These organisations have not updated the information on a real-time basis through an online application made for informing the government of such changes either.
The notification further states that all such organisations and NGOs that have got their registration through FCRA have to within a month seek approval from the government in case any change in the key functionaries and office-bearers have been in effect.
The NGOs that fail to comply will be liable to face penal action, as per the notification.
“All associations/persons who have granted a certificate of registration and who have affected any change/modification in the details of their officer bearers/key functionaries after their registration must inform the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) of the changes within a month failing which penal action shall be initiated,” the notification said.
This notification, however, only reiterates the rule position, reported Hindustan Times.
According to a report in the Hindustan Times, Enforcement agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate are probing individuals and a few NGOs that allegedly received slush funds from companies in a similar manner said a senior official who did not want to be named.