The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : New Bill to replace Foreign Contribution Regulation Act

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 29, 2006
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

New Bill to replace Foreign Contribution Regulation Act

Special Correspondent

Likely to be passed in next winter session of Parliament

CHENNAI: The Government of India is in the process of introducing a new Bill to replace the existing Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 1976 (FCRA) and the recommendations of the report of the Group of Ministers constituted to look into all aspects have been placed for intra-Ministerial consultation before being tabled in Parliament.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, D.S. Mishra, Joint Secretary, Union Ministry of Home Affairs, refused to divulge any key components that would be factored into this new legislation that was expected to be passed during the next winter session of the Parliament. He said the Group of Ministers have debated in detail about the 700 and more responses received through the Ministry's website (www.mha.nic.in) and also the recommendations made at the national level seminar held in New Delhi in June last year.

Mr. Mishra, who is here in connection with the one-day Regional Seminar on FCRA, 1976 organised by the Union Home Ministry in collaboration with the Standard Chartered Bank, said various issues relating to compliance of law under the FCRA by the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and individuals, experiences of the stake-holders, and the role of the Enforcement Agencies would be deliberated.

A broad overview of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) would be discussed by experts in the field. Nearly 300 delegates representing a cross section of stakeholders including NGOs, donors, banks, chartered accountants, lawyers, academicians and enforcement agencies will be participating.

Elaborating on the receipt of foreign contribution in the voluntary sector, Mr. Mishra explained that about Rs. 6,250 crore was received during 2004-05, out of which Rs. 3,120 crore was received by the Southern States - Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala. And among the top 25 district recipients of foreign contributions in the country, 18 are from these four Southern States.

He said as on September 2006, there were 33,210 organisations registered under the FCRA and nearly 2,500 organisations are being registered annually and about 500 are being granted prior permission to accept foreign contribution in a year.

NGOs' funds

Referring to receipt of foreign contribution by NGOs for tsunami, Mr. Mishra explained that Tamil Nadu received Rs. 241.64 crore, Kerala-Rs. 20.10 crore and Andhra Pradesh Rs. 48.18 crore.

Tamil Nadu Governor S.S. Barnala, will deliver the key-note address at the seminar.

Sriprakash Jaiswal, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, will launch a new facility `FCRA on-line' to benefit NGO applicants to submit their applications on-line facilitating registration under the FCRA.

Union Minister of State for Home, S. Regupathy, will release a handbook on FCRA brought out jointly by the Ministry with the Standard Chartered Bank.

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