Centre Pulls Funding Plug off 524 Kerala NGOs

KOCHI: A total of 524 organisations from the state figure in the list of 4,476 entities whose licences to receive foreign funds were cancelled by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) over the past one week. Andhra Pradesh tops the list with about 1,440 institutions.

The list includes some of the prominent institutions in Kerala including Mahatma Gandhi University, Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), Kerala Regional Family Development Centre, Union Christian College, Aluva, CMS College, Kottayam, Vimala College, Thrissur and St. Georges’ College, Aruvithura. Institutions run by various churches leads the table in both the national and the state-level.

The licenses of these institutions have been cancelled for reasons ranging from non-filing of returns to non-compliance with Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).

Other prominent organisations in the list include, Madhavan Nayar Foundation (Ernakulam), Yogakshema Trust, Himayathul Muslimeen Trust, The Highrange Rural Development Society, Kattappana, Muslim Ladies Association, Indian Pentecostal Church of God, Alleppey, Peoples Dairy Development Project Society, Vlathankara Industrial Cooperative Society, Valiya Palli Muslim Jamaat, Kozhikode and Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) of Thiruvalla, Parassala and Kollam. All associations were given proper notice by the Foreigners Division of the Home Ministry with adequate time to reply before their FCRA licences were cancelled.

“On scrutiny of records, it has been found that the mandatory annual returns for the years 2009-2010, 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 have not been received from the associations,” said an official notification.

As per Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act and the 2010 Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rules 2011, associations registered under FCRA 2010 are required to submit annual report in Form FC-6, accompanied by an income and expenditure statement, receipt and payment account, balance sheet etc for every financial year beginning on the April 1.