Concerned over violations of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has launched outreach programmes to sensitise Non-Governmental Organisations on the rules and provisions of the Act governing foreign funding.
The ministry will organise an outreach meeting in Andhra Pradesh on September 20, where 200 NGO registered under the Act will be briefed by the officials of the MHA and Ministry of Finance.
In July, the MHA served show-cause notices to 2,479 NGOs from Andhra Pradesh for not filing the statutory FC-6 Form. Annual returns filed in FC-6 Form detail the foreign contribution received in exclusive bank accounts and specifics of the transactions for bona fide welfare activities. In 2011-12, Andhra Pradesh received Rs 1,180 crore in foreign aid, the third highest in the country.
Officials of the Ministry of Finance will give a presentation on modalities of inward remittance through banking channels and rules and notifications related to the Foreign Contributions Regulation Rules, 2011.
“The seminar would be an interactive session to enable participants to exchange views on the subject,” an MHA statement said.
The MHA has prepared a software programme so that any foreign aid transaction without the required FCRA licence, can be notified to the ministry within 30 days.