The central government is of the opinion that the foreign funding received by NGOs and social organisations is being laundered to a large extent.
The central government is of the opinion that the foreign funding received by NGOs and social organisations, which is to the tune of Rs10,000 crore annually, is being laundered to a large extent.
The public agitations in recent times, including the one against the Jaitapur project, were funded by foreign hands, it has alleged, and further, even the funding for the welfare of stray dogs is laundered.
The Union home ministry held a meeting with officials from the home departments of some states three days ago in New Delhi.
One of the two issues discussed in the meeting was money laundering by NGOs that get funding from overseas. Since the state governments have no mechanism to curb such funding, they have been asked to set up one on an urgent basis.
The ministry reportedly has specific information on the misuse of the funding by NGOs protesting against the Jaitapur nuclear plant. Congress ministers, including Narayan Rane and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, have repeatedly alleged there is foreign funding and support to the agitation against the plant. The information shared by the Union home ministry has, in a way, endorsed their views.
The ministry has also claimed that the funds are used for conversions that allegedly take place in Nashik and some parts of Gujarat. The NGOs run for the welfare of stray dogs are believed to be misused for pocketing the monies that come from abroad.
According to estimates with the ministry, of the foreign funds worth Rs10,000 crore, Rs900 crore comes to Maharashtra alone. “Though nearly 10% of the funds come to the state, Maharashtra does not have a mechanism to keep tabs on the inflow.
“The state machinery has been asked to establish a mechanism to keep a tab on the laundering,” said an official. “The NGOs submit their accounts to the central government, but still the laundering take places on a large scale.”
Medha Patkar, however, has claimed that the allegations are baseless.
“I agree that some NGOs and social organisations are into money laundering, but all the organisations cannot be scaled on the same parameter.
“And why is the government shying away from taking action against the ones involved? Even politicians float NGOs for reasons best known, and in such circumstances the government loses it moral right to act against them,” she said.
“Allegations of foreign funds were also levelled against me during the Narmada Bachao Andolan, but the Supreme Court had ruled in our favour,” she added.
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