Foreign funds: RGUHS gets notice for not filing returns

Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) in Karnataka are among 5,922 NGOs and institutions that could lose their licence to receive foreign funds as they have not filed annual returns for three or more than three years.

Show-cause notices were issued to these NGOs and institutions last Saturday, asking why they have not filed their annual income and expenditure records despite repeated notices.

Under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), the licence would be cancelled if the institutions do not file their annual income and expenditure records.

The Delhi College of Engineering, currently known as Delhi Technological University, Young Men's Christian Association and Punjabi University, Patiala are also in the list besides over a dozen from Karnataka.

Some of the NGOs and institutions that find their name in the list include Karnataka Chinmaya Trust, Karnataka Rural Development Service Centre, Karnataka Holy Cross Sister's Society, Voluntary Health Association of Karnataka, Karnataka Navodaya Ashram and Andhra Karnataka Dalita Varga Sangha.

Others are Society for Service to Voluntary Agencies of Karnataka, Karnataka Development Projects, The Karnataka Network For People Living With HIV/AIDS, Karnataka Rural Employment Generating Association, Karnataka Labour Education Trust, Northern Karnataka Rural Development Society, Uttara Karnataka Rajya Nirgatika Mahileyaru Mattu, Devadasiyara Samaja Seva Sangh, University Women’s Association Of Bangalore, Mysore Educational Social and Cultural Organisation and Mysore Diocesan Education Society among others.

The Ministry of Home Affairs said as a one-time measure, all NGOs were given an opportunity for one month to file their missing annual returns by June 14 without paying any penalty.

Email and SMS alerts were also sent to them regularly for one month beginning mid-May.

“However, in spite of sufficient and adequate notice, it has been observed that 5,922 associations have not uploaded their annual returns for three or more than three years within the stipulated time given in the notice,” the circular said.