E-Paper
CBI raids 40 locations to probe collusion between officials, foreign-funded NGOs
The home ministry (MHA) told CBI to investigate its staffers as well to identify officials who were colluding with NGOs for grant of foreign funding licences to organisations ineligible for renewal or a fresh licence.
NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday carried out a major operation to investigate collusion between government officials and representatives of non-governmental organisations for “illegal clearance” of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licences in lieu of bribes.
People familiar with the development said searches are being conducted at 40 locations in several places including Delhi, Chennai, Mysore, Coimbatore and Rajasthan to nab representatives of non-government organisations (NGOs), middlemen and public servants including officials of FCRA division of MHA among others.
The action is being taken on a tip-off from the Union home ministry, which grants licences to NGOs to receive foreign funding.
It is alleged that certain public servants in FCRA division, in connivance with NGOs, were facilitating illegal clearances of licences, which allow them to receive and use funding received from foreign donors, in lieu of bribes.
Several individuals including half-a-dozen government officials are being questioned by CBI in this connection.
The federal anti-corruption probe agency has also found hawala transactions worth ₹2 crore in two cases linked to FCRA licence renewal or fresh grant, said an officer, requesting anonymity.
Since 2020, the union home ministry has refused to renew the foreign funding licence of 466 non-government organisations for not fulfilling the eligibility criteria in accordance with the provisions of the law, according to data tabled by the ministry in Parliament.
There were 100 refusals in 2020, 341 in 2021 and 25 till March this year, the ministry said. A key rejection was that of Oxfam India’s application for renewal of its foreign-funding licence in December 2021, which is yet to be renewed.
There are 16,895 organisations registered under in the country.
The home ministry tightened FCRA rules in November 2020, saying that organisations which are not directly linked to a political party but engage in political action such as shutdowns, strikes or road blockades will be considered to be of political nature if they participate in active politics or party politics.
This change will bar such groups from receiving foreign funds. Organisations covered under this category include farmers’ organisations, students, workers’ organisations and caste-based organisations.
In the amendments to FCRA – the law was amended in September 2020 - the government barred public servants from receiving foreign funding and made Aadhaar mandatory for every office-bearer of the NGOs. The new provisions also stipulate that organizations receiving foreign funds won’t be able to use more than 20% of such funds for administrative purposes. This limit was 50% earlier. The change impacts the ability of NGOs which receive foreign funds to use these funds for advocacy activities.
