Despite a crackdown by the Union Home Ministry under the stringent Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), non-governmental organisations (NGO) and associations received over ₹22,000 crore of foreign funds in the 2021-22 fiscal year. The amount is higher than that received in the previous two years.
The total amount of foreign contribution received in 2021-22 stood at ₹22,085.1 crore, compared with ₹17,058.64 crore in 2020-21 and ₹15,438.21 crore in 2019-20, as per data provided by the Ministry in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
Also Read:FCRA licence of 1,811 NGOs cancelled in 3 years: Government
Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said in a written reply that as on March 10, FCRA registration certificate of 16,383 associations was valid, of which 14,966 associations had submitted the mandatory annual returns for 2021-22.
Responding to a question by BJP member Satish Chandra Dubey on whether the government had received many complaints regarding the use of foreign funds by the NGOs, the Minister said, “Some complaints had been received in the past regarding misutilisation or diversion of foreign contributions by the FCRA registered associations. Such complaints are dealt as per provisions of the Act and rules made thereunder.”
In another reply, the Minister said the government had cancelled the FCRA registration of 1,827 NGOs in the past five year for violation of laws.
Mr. Rai told the Rajya Sabha that Section 32 of the FCRA provided for revision by the Union government of any order passed in a proceeding against any association registered under the Act.
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