“Mata Amritanandamayi Math never defaulted in submitting FCRA annual returns”: Officials

published on July 28, 2013

Mata Amritanandamayi Math (MAM) has issued a clarification on what it has termed as “false news of FCRA annual returns” for 2011- 2012, stating that the Math has never defaulted in submitting Foreign Contribution Regulation Act annual returns. Official sources also stated that Home Ministry officials have not updated their website, thereby creating misinformation. A ‘Home Ministry acknowledgement for the year 2009 – 2012’ has also been furnished by the official website.

Media reports included MAM in the list of charitable organizations that have not produced the accounts of foreign funds. Reports of the union home ministry said 813 organistations from Kerala have not produced the accounts including Kozhikode Markazu led by Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musaliyar and KP Yohanan’s Believers Church.

“MAM (Mata Amritanandamayi Math) has never defaulted in submitting Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) annual returns. Every year MAM submits the returns before the due date,” states MAM’s official website.  

“When the ashram contacted the Ministry officials, they said that they have not updated their website and it will take time to update. The medias have taken information from the Home Ministry website,” it clarifies.

The official website of MAM reports the “false news regarding the accounts of Mata Amritanandamayi Math (MAM) in some TV channels and news websites. The MAM accounts department wanted to clarify this info to the public.”

The Union Home department has warned of handling the matter “seriously” with the law specifying that the exact details of “foreign funds obtained should be informed to the centre”.

According to sources, “the government will seek an explanation from the organisations, where upon, the registration will be cancelled if the explanation is not found satisfactory.”