Govt deletes NGOs' 'unnecessary" data from FCRA website
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New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) removed data " unnecessary for public viewing" from its website for Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA).
It is learnt that the data being termed as unnecessary are reportedly crucial, according to a report by The Indian Express.
The MHA, says the report, did not comment on the removal of the data from the FCRA website which includes a list of NGOs, whose licences have been cancelled, and details of annual returns of NGOs.
The list identifying these NGOs has been removed and there is no way to access the annual returns of NGOs, The Indian Express reported.
An official is quoted as saying that whatever data deemed to be not useful has been removed.
The data maintained, according to the official, include overall details of number of NGOs that lost license and the number of NGOs who have filed returns.
Another database to go is quarterly accounts of foreign contributions that NGOs received.
The removal of the data come in line with the changes in FCRA rules issued by the Ministry earlier this month, sources say.
Meanwhile, the ministry on July 1 introduced some changes in FCRA rules for lessening "the compliance burden" on NGOs. These included changes in Rule 13 which deals with "declaration of receipt of foreign contribution.
The deleted clause (b) of the Rule wanted the receiver of the foreign contribution in a quarter of the financial year to place all details regarding it on its website.
Otherwise the data can be placed on a website specified by the Central government within days after the last day of the quarter in which the contribution has been received.
All details regarding the donors, amount received and date of receipt should be given.
While many NGOs reportedly called this a "strange development", the chief of an NGO, seeking anonymity, said the change looks like an effort to lessen the transparency in the functioning of FCRA division.
The chief further reportedly said that the ministry should have introduced more transparency at a time when CBI is investigating allegations of corruption within FCRA division.