Govt plans to cancel FCRA registration of Teesta's NGOs

Government plans to cancel the registration of two NGOs of social activist Teesta Setalvad for alleged violations of Foreign Currency Regulation Act.
Sabarang Trust and Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), run by Teesta and her husband Javed Anand, were served the notice nearly a month ago following an on-site inspection of records and books of accounts of the two NGOs carried out by Home Ministry officials in April this year.
"We had given them 15 days time to reply. Even after almost a month, no reply has come from the two NGOs. We will have no option but to cancel their FCRA registration soon," a Home Ministry official said.

Sources said that during the probe under Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), it was found that they were running a magazine "Communalism Combat" as co-editors as well as printer and publisher of their company Sabrang Communication and Publishing Pvt Ltd (SCPPL) and allegedly received foreign contribution.
Under FCRA, no foreign contribution shall be accepted by any correspondent, columnist, cartoonist, editor, owner, printer or publisher of a registered newspaper.
CJP, which has been fighting cases for victims of 2002 Gujarat riots, had received a total foreign contribution of around Rs 1.18 crore from 2008-09 to 2013-14. According to the notice, more than 80 per cent or nearly Rs 95 lakh was spent for legal aid.

While the entity was registered for 'Educational and Economic' purposes, it received foreign contribution for activities such as 'Legal Aid' which is covered under purpose 'Social'. Hence, it violated FCRA rules, they contended.