Cracking on foreign funds? 8,975 NGOs lose their license for not filing annual returns

By NewsGram Staff Writer

The NDA government has cancelled the licenses of 8,975 NGOs saying that the organizations failed to file annual returns the years 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12.

The move came after the government in a crackdown had suspended Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration of international environmental NGO, Greenpeace.

According to the cancellation order by the Home Ministry, the government had issued notifications to 10,343 NGOs on October 16, 2014 asking them to file annual returns within a month. The government also asked them to specify the amount of foreign funds received, their sources, their purpose and how they were utilized. However, only 229 NGOs replied.

"Out of the notices issued to 10,343 associations across India, reply from 229 associations have been received which are being examined on a case to case basis. No reply has been received from the remaining associations numbering 8,975," the ministry order said.

Under FCRA, NGOs which receive foreign funds have to submit an annual report in Form FC-6. It has to include income and expenditure statement, receipt and payment account, balance sheet etc for every financial year beginning on the 1st day of April within nine months of the closure of the financial year.