NEW DELHI: The Centre has suspended the FCRA licence of Delhi-based public policy think-tank, the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), sources in the Union home ministry said.
The suspension was effected last week after it was found that the NGO did not follow norms while receiving funds from foreign sources, thus violating the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act.
Without the FCRA licence, the NGO will not be able to receive any funds from abroad.
The donors of CPR include the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the University of Pennsylvania, the World Resources Institute, Duke University, Hanns Seidel Foundation, the State Bank of India and Namati Inc, among others.
In September 2022, the income tax department had conducted a survey at CPR’s premises, and as part of the survey follow-up process, the NGO received several notices from the department.
In a statement put up on its website, CPR said the suspension is for a period of 180 days. It claimed that it is in “complete compliance with the law”, adding that it’s routinely scrutinised and audited by government authorities, including the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
“We have annual statutory audits and all our annual audited balance sheets are in the public domain,” the NGO said while responding to the government action.
“There is no question of having undertaken any activity that is beyond our object of association and compliance mandated by law,” it added.