In a fresh report submitted to the government, the Intelligence Bureau has clearly stated that all NGOs and other social organisation working in Naxal-infested states and getting funds from foreign agencies should be put on a “mandatory pre-security clearance” by the Union home ministry to check misuse of funds.
The report comes in wake of the issue being flagged a few days ago by minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju during Question Hour in Parliament, where he claimed that the CPI (Maoists), an umbrella organisation for Naxal cadre, had close links with some outfits in Europe and Southeast Asia. Mr Rijiju had also underscored the fact that in case source of funding was illegal there should be an inquiry into it.
Now, the Central intelligence agency in a report to the home ministry has said that every time funds are received by organisation working in the Naxal-infested, it should be cleared only after a thorough security check.
“There is a strong possibility that some of the funds being routed by foreign donors to organisations working different fields in the Naxal-dominated areas is being ultimately used by the Maoists. A detailed scrutiny should be carried out by multiple security agencies on every occasion before these funds are cleared,” the intelligence note states.
According to current norms, the NGOs and social or cultural organisations registered with the foreigners division of the home ministry do not have to seek pre-clearance on receiving funds as they are supposed to file their annual returns as per the FCRA norms. However, donations for agencies not registered with the home ministry are cleared on a case by case basis.
Recently, the IB had also recommended that funds for another reputed NGO, Greenpeace, should also be put in the pre-security clearance category. The intelligence agency in an earlier report had alleged that some of the NGOs were working against the country’s economic growth.
Now, with the home ministry already admitting that Indian Maoists had links with other similar outfits abroad, sources said that the funding norms for organisations working in Naxal areas would be made more stringent
Source: http://www.asianage.com/india/maharashtra-clearance-must-ngos-intelligence-bureau-634
The report comes in wake of the issue being flagged a few days ago by minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju during Question Hour in Parliament, where he claimed that the CPI (Maoists), an umbrella organisation for Naxal cadre, had close links with some outfits in Europe and Southeast Asia. Mr Rijiju had also underscored the fact that in case source of funding was illegal there should be an inquiry into it.
Now, the Central intelligence agency in a report to the home ministry has said that every time funds are received by organisation working in the Naxal-infested, it should be cleared only after a thorough security check.
“There is a strong possibility that some of the funds being routed by foreign donors to organisations working different fields in the Naxal-dominated areas is being ultimately used by the Maoists. A detailed scrutiny should be carried out by multiple security agencies on every occasion before these funds are cleared,” the intelligence note states.
According to current norms, the NGOs and social or cultural organisations registered with the foreigners division of the home ministry do not have to seek pre-clearance on receiving funds as they are supposed to file their annual returns as per the FCRA norms. However, donations for agencies not registered with the home ministry are cleared on a case by case basis.
Recently, the IB had also recommended that funds for another reputed NGO, Greenpeace, should also be put in the pre-security clearance category. The intelligence agency in an earlier report had alleged that some of the NGOs were working against the country’s economic growth.
Now, with the home ministry already admitting that Indian Maoists had links with other similar outfits abroad, sources said that the funding norms for organisations working in Naxal areas would be made more stringent
Source: http://www.asianage.com/india/maharashtra-clearance-must-ngos-intelligence-bureau-634
