CBI probing 15 cases of FCRA violations

CBI is probing 15 cases related to violations of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act which were referred to it by the Home Ministry, Rajya Sabha has been informed.
In a written response, the Minister of State for Home, Kiren Rijiju, said, "After inspection and scrutiny of accounts, 15 cases were referred to CBI and 10 to state police. Accounts of 23 associations have been frozen. Twenty associations have been prohibited from receiving foreign contribution."
He further added, "In 2014, penalty amounting to Rs 5.20 crore has been imposed on 341 associations for late/non- submission of mandatory annual returns and of Rs 51.99 lakh on 24 associations for receipt and utilisation of foreign contribution without obtaining registration of prior permission under the FCRA."

The minister said that the government receives inputs from time to time from various sources about violations of FCRA and action is initiated against the alleged violators after following due process as prescribed in the said Act.
"Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, (FCRA) and Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rule, 2011, came into force from May 1, 2011. Since then, notices were issued to around 21,000 associations in 2011 and 10,343 associations in 2014 for not filing annual returns continuously for three years," Rijiju said.
Consequently, registration of 4,138 associations was cancelled in July, 2012, and 10,118 in March, 2015, after issuance of show-cause notices to such associations and giving them adequate opportunity, the minister added.