Amnesty’s plans for South Asia hub hit FCRA hurdle

NEW DELHI: Amnesty International’s plans to set up a south Asia hub in New Delhi may hit a roadblock with the home ministry not in favour of granting it prior permission to receive foreign funding worth Rs 18.62 crore to start a regional office.
Though the application has been pending for a year, the recent sedition case filed against Amnesty India as well as “inaccurate and unsubstantiated” observations on “human rights violations in Jammu & Kashmir” in its 2015 report has made the ministry wary of granting approval, say sources.
Amnesty International South Asia Foundation was registered as a private incorporated with the registrar of companies on May 8, 2015. It approached the MHA on August 13, 2015 seeking prior permission under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 for a Rs 18.62 crore grant to set up its regional office to manage operations ac-ross south Asia, except India which is looked after by its dedicated arm Amnesty India.
Meanwhile, the MHA is mulling asking Amnesty India to apply for registration under FCRA. It has been receiving funds for the past 16 years through the prior permission route under FCRA. In fact, Amnesty International had in 2014 and 2015 issued statements to the media saying it would not register under the “much-abused” FCRA which it said was being used too often to curb the freedom of expression of NGOs”.
Even though an NGO cannot be compelled to register under FCRA if it has been duly seeking prior permission under FCRA for all foreign funds, the MHA has, over the past couple of years, tightened scrutiny on NGOs that are reluctant to have themselves registered under FCRA.
Ministry officials noticed that some NGOs were receiving donations worth crores regularly through “prior permission” route despite being eligible for registration on account of having operated and clocked a Rs 10 lakh turnover for three straight years. “So, we started suggesting that such NGOs register themselves under FCRA. Also, we insisted that donations above Rs 10 crore be approved and released in tranches, with the release of each subsequent instalment dependent on complete utilisation of the earlier one,” said an officer.
PTI quoted Amnesty India as saying, “We have not received any notice. When we do, we shall respond adequately.”