11-11-2006, 06:30 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Â <b>Govt to scan foreign funds to NGOs </b>
Arijit Sen
CNN-IBN
Posted Friday , November 10, 2006 at 22:21 Email Print
New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the Foreign Contribution Management and Control Bill that seeks to restrict NGOs and other organisations from receiving foreign funding.
The Government says some of the NGOs are being used to route funds for terror outfits and some are re-routing funds for private purposes.
<b>The approval simply means that the 32,000 NGOs and the Rs 7,000 crore foreign funding they have will now be under the scanner.</b>
It also means that Tsunamika, the doll that spread a lot of hope and was a symbol of strength to the families that lost all to the waves of destruction in December 2004, may not have the same strength to fight back the new Government law.
The Foreign Contribution Management and Control Bill plans to closely watch every penny coming into an NGO in India.
According to the Bill, all foreign donors need to be first cleared by the state before they can fund an NGO. The Government can refuse and cancel registration of NGOs if they do not use the foreign funds for development work.
Banks will now have to share information about an NGOs account. "<b>The old Act was more than adequate. It does not show its teeth. And when it does, see carefully and you will find that the whole purpose is to reduce the democractic space available for civil society work," says Country Director of Action Aid, Babu Mathew</b>.
The Prime Minister, not long ago, mentioned civil society should be strengtned to strengthen democracy.
But this proposed act which is supposed to give more teeth to NGOs actually has split them into two distinct groups - one which supports it and the other which thinks its repressive and anti-democractic.
<b>"It's the country's way of making sure that the right kind of money comes in and goes to the right kind of people and used in the right way," says Media Coordinator for Oxfam, Aditi Kapoor.</b>
The new Bill, which is likely to be introduced in the Winter Session of Parliament is for putting civil society organisations and the Goverment at loggerheads.
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Arijit Sen
CNN-IBN
Posted Friday , November 10, 2006 at 22:21 Email Print
New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the Foreign Contribution Management and Control Bill that seeks to restrict NGOs and other organisations from receiving foreign funding.
The Government says some of the NGOs are being used to route funds for terror outfits and some are re-routing funds for private purposes.
<b>The approval simply means that the 32,000 NGOs and the Rs 7,000 crore foreign funding they have will now be under the scanner.</b>
It also means that Tsunamika, the doll that spread a lot of hope and was a symbol of strength to the families that lost all to the waves of destruction in December 2004, may not have the same strength to fight back the new Government law.
The Foreign Contribution Management and Control Bill plans to closely watch every penny coming into an NGO in India.
According to the Bill, all foreign donors need to be first cleared by the state before they can fund an NGO. The Government can refuse and cancel registration of NGOs if they do not use the foreign funds for development work.
Banks will now have to share information about an NGOs account. "<b>The old Act was more than adequate. It does not show its teeth. And when it does, see carefully and you will find that the whole purpose is to reduce the democractic space available for civil society work," says Country Director of Action Aid, Babu Mathew</b>.
The Prime Minister, not long ago, mentioned civil society should be strengtned to strengthen democracy.
But this proposed act which is supposed to give more teeth to NGOs actually has split them into two distinct groups - one which supports it and the other which thinks its repressive and anti-democractic.
<b>"It's the country's way of making sure that the right kind of money comes in and goes to the right kind of people and used in the right way," says Media Coordinator for Oxfam, Aditi Kapoor.</b>
The new Bill, which is likely to be introduced in the Winter Session of Parliament is for putting civil society organisations and the Goverment at loggerheads.
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