Pench can now accept foreign donations

Nagpur: The Pench Tiger Reserve’s Tiger Conservation Foundation (TCF), Maharashtra, has perhaps become the second reserve in the country to get registration under Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 (FCRA). The FCRA registration will pave way for foreign donations to Pench TCF. FCRA, under the ministry of home affairs, gave approval in a letter to Pench field director on May 4.
Earlier in 2010, Madhya Pradesh Tiger Foundation Society, a non-profit organization working towards conservation of wildlife, was registered under FCRA.
Pench had applied for FCRA registration last year. As the norms are stringent, it took almost a year to get the approval.
The move followed after a global bank wanted to donate money to Pench TCF for community conservancy project in Umred-Karhandla but as TCF was not registered under FCRA, it couldn’t get donations.
“Many times even some foreign tourists and NGOs working for wildlife conservation offer donations but Pench couldn’t accept but now we will be able to,” said officials.
The issue had also cropped up recently on funds being provided by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for tiger conservation projects here.
Donations to Pench TCF are income tax free under Section 12 of the Income Tax Act. Donors can claim income tax exemption under Section 80(G) of the Act.