The Delhi High Court today directed the Government of India to “unblock” foreign contributions to the tune of Rs 1.87 crore received by the NGO Greenpeace India from its headquarters in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
The Delhi High Court today directed the Government of India to “unblock” foreign contributions to the tune of Rs 1.87 crore received by the NGO Greenpeace India from its headquarters in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The court observed that the ministry "showed no material tor restrict access" to the foreign fund.
"According to me, there is no material on record to restrict the petitioner (Greenpeace India Society) from accessing the bank account with the IDBI bank in Chennai," Justice Rajiv Shakdher said, observing that the "amount in fixed deposited in the bank be unblocked and transferred to the NGO's account.”
The court also observed that all NGOs were entitled to have their viewpoints and merely because their views are not in consonance with that of the government's, it does not mean they were acting against national interest.
The Ministry of Home Affairs had directed the Reserve Bank of India to take prior permission of the Ministry’s Foreign Contribution Regulatory Act department before clearing any foreign aid to Greenpeace from Greenpeace International and Climate Works Foundation, which are the two principal international contributors to Greenpeace India Society. This directive, issued on June 13, 2013, put on hold direct funding for the NGO.
“This is a vindication of our work and the role that credible NGOs play in support of India’s development. The court has deemed the government’s action as unconstitutional and has upheld the legitimacy of the issues Greenpeace takes up in India,” said Samit Aich, Executive Director, Greenpeace India.
Agencies and Greenpeace India
Source: https://in.news.yahoo.com/delhi-hc-orders-government-of-india-to--unblock--foreign-funding-to-greenpeace-india-133403655.html
The Delhi High Court today directed the Government of India to “unblock” foreign contributions to the tune of Rs 1.87 crore received by the NGO Greenpeace India from its headquarters in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The court observed that the ministry "showed no material tor restrict access" to the foreign fund.
"According to me, there is no material on record to restrict the petitioner (Greenpeace India Society) from accessing the bank account with the IDBI bank in Chennai," Justice Rajiv Shakdher said, observing that the "amount in fixed deposited in the bank be unblocked and transferred to the NGO's account.”
The court also observed that all NGOs were entitled to have their viewpoints and merely because their views are not in consonance with that of the government's, it does not mean they were acting against national interest.
The Ministry of Home Affairs had directed the Reserve Bank of India to take prior permission of the Ministry’s Foreign Contribution Regulatory Act department before clearing any foreign aid to Greenpeace from Greenpeace International and Climate Works Foundation, which are the two principal international contributors to Greenpeace India Society. This directive, issued on June 13, 2013, put on hold direct funding for the NGO.
“This is a vindication of our work and the role that credible NGOs play in support of India’s development. The court has deemed the government’s action as unconstitutional and has upheld the legitimacy of the issues Greenpeace takes up in India,” said Samit Aich, Executive Director, Greenpeace India.
Agencies and Greenpeace India
Source: https://in.news.yahoo.com/delhi-hc-orders-government-of-india-to--unblock--foreign-funding-to-greenpeace-india-133403655.html
