New Delhi: The Indian government has cracked down on some 9,000 nongovernmental organizations that receive foreign funds for allegedly not complying with rules.
The Monday’s move came days after the federal home ministry published the last of overseas aid agencies that are barred from funding Indian organizations.
A home ministry letter says that 10,343 associations had not submitted annuals returns since 2009-2012. Notices were sent to them to file returns by October 2014, but only 229 associations responded.
The registration of the remaining 8,975 organizations has been cancelled, NDTV reported.
The Foreign Contributions Regulations Act requires organizations receiving foreign funds to give every year details of the contributions received, their sources and the purpose for which they were used.
NGOs and lobby groups have been on the government’s radar for almost a year after the Intelligence Bureau reported they had been stalling economic growth by campaigning against power projects, mining and genetically modified food.
The home ministry mid May placed the Ford Foundation on its watch list, saying it wanted to ensure that its funds were utilized for “bonafide welfare activities without compromising on concerns of national interest and security”.
Earlier, Greenpeace India was barred from receiving foreign funds. The government alleges that it has “prejudicially affected the economic interest of the state.”
Critics say the government is targeting NGOs that come in the way of corporate houses that allegedly want exploit to exploit lands occupied by tribal and dalit communities.