NEW DELHI: The government may soon require all NGOs registered or granted prior permission to receive foreign funds under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, to allow the Centre to access details of their FCRA accounts in real time.
According to amendments proposed by the Union home ministry to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rules (FCRR), 2011, the NGOs may give the consent in writing at the time of applying for registration or prior permission, and also during the renewal of the FCRA licence.
The move is not only aimed at enabling tighter monitoring of NGOs’ foreign receipts, but also keeping track of their utilisation.
"Right now, we have to depend on banks to give us details within 48 hours of any transaction… the latest amendment will allow the Centre to readily access and examine the FCRA accounts of an NGO under scrutiny, through authorised agencies like the Intelligence Bureau, the RAW or the FCRA monitoring unit of the home ministry," a home ministry officer said.
"Since the consent of the NGO will be submitted at the outset, there should be no concerns regarding violation of privacy," the officer added.
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