The number of total NGOs in the country with a valid licence to receive foreign funds has shrunk to a mere 13,000 from around 33,000 a year ago, a home ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday. The licences of nearly 20,000 NGOs issued under the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA), 2010 were reportedly cancelled as part of an exhaustive and ongoing review of their foreign fund inflows and utilisation, by foreigners/FCRA division of the home ministry.

The prime ground for stripping 20,000 NGOs of their foreign funding licences were alleged violations of FCRA norms, MHA spokesperson Kuldeep Singh Dhatwalia told TOI after a review of working of the foreigners division taken by Union home minister Rajnath Singh here on Tuesday.

Incidentally, there were some contradictory claims regarding the aforesaid numbers, with a source in the home minister's office insisting that the FCRA registration of no more than 222 NGOs had been cancelled so far this year. According to this source, around the foreign funding licence of around 27,000 NGOs was due for renewal this year, of which 19,000 applied. Of these, the FCRA licence of around 15,000 applicants was renewed.

During the review on Tuesday, the minister stressed on the need to streamline and modernise the online FCRA system and make all dealings transparent.

Importantly, Singh also asked officials manning the FCRA desk to ensure that no impression goes out regarding favouritism towards or attempts to "target" any NGO. All dealings with NGOs should be strictly as per the law, he is believed to have directed the officers.

The exercise of reviewing the working of the NGOs was started about a year ago and the process is still continuing, official sources said. #casansaar (PTI - Times of India)