Organisations in dock could lose licence for not filing income, expenditure records
Nearly 6,000 organisations, including top educational institutes like Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Indian Institute of Management (IIM), and several other religious bodies could lose their licence to receive foreign donations as they have not filed their annual returns for five consecutive years.
Oxfam, an international rights group working in many countries, is also on the list.
With the organisations, registered under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) 2010, failing to file their annual returns on foreign funding for four years between 2010-11 and 2014-15 despite repeated reminders, MHA has given them show cause notice asking to explain why their FCRA registration should not be cancelled.
The notice says if associations do not file their replies within 15 days their registration will be cancelled without further notice in accordance with the provisions of FCRA.
Among the defaulters who haven't filed their returns are several Christian, Islamic and Hindu organisations.
Delhi College of Engineering, Indian Council of Medical Research, Indira Gandhi Open University (IGNOU) and University of Mumbai are also among the many educational institutes that have not filed their returns and have been sent notices.
As per the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 (FCRA, 2010) and Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rules, 2011 (FCRR, 2011), made there under, the associations are required to submit their Annual Return for every financial year beginning on April 1, within nine months of the closure of the financial year.
All associations were given an opportunity by way of a Public Notice uploaded on the FCRA website on May 12, 2017 requiring them to file their missing Annual Returns for 2010-11 to 2014-15 within a period of one month starting from May 15, 2017 to June 14, 2017 without payment of penalty.
"This was followed by regular email alerts to the associations from May 19, 2017 to June 14, 2017 and SMS alerts on May 31, 2017 followed by regular daily SMS alerts from May 5, 2017 to June 14, 2017. The said Public Notice was also on MHA and PIB websites," the notice dated July 8 stated.
"However, in spite of sufficient and adequate notice, it has been observed that 5,922 associations have not uploaded their annual returns for three or more than three years within the stipulated time given in the notice," it added.
A year after coming to power the Narendra Modi government cancelled registrations of over 10,000 organisations under FCRA in 2015. The government came under attack for cracking down on NGOs.
UNDER SCANNER
MHA has given the various bodies show cause notice asking to explain why their FCRA registration should not be cancelled
As per certian Acts associations are required to submit their Annual Return for every financial year beginning on April 1, within nine months of the closure of the financial year
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