New Delhi: The Union Home Ministry has asked RBI to seek prior permission from it for any donation to be made to NGO Greenpeace by two overseas contributors, a move which was earlier recommended by the Intelligence Bureau. Citing Section 46 of The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act of 2010, official sources said any contribution from Greenpeace International and Climate Works Foundation to the Greenpeace India will have to have a prior sanction from the Home Ministry.
According to the section, the “Central Government may give such directions as it may deem necessary to any other authority or any person or class of persons regarding the carrying into execution of the provisions of this Act.” Thereby, any funds sent to Greenpeace India by these two organisations will require a sanction.
The move comes close on the heels of an Intelligence Bureau report last week, submitted to Prime Minister's Office and National Security Adviser, in which recommendation was made for putting foreign donations to Greenpeace on “prior category” list so that permission is taken before any money flows in for funding their activities.
The Home Ministry asked RBI to direct all banks to this effect and also report if any government department or institution is receiving such funds from these two organisations.
With this, Greenpeace International and Climate Works Foundation have been clubbed with Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch which have been put on similar notice. Rubbishing the IB reports, Greenpeace India said that the organisation was not merely surviving on funds from overseas. “We have enough contributors within India to sustain our pro-people activities,” spokesperson of Greenpeace Bharti Sinha said in reaction to government's move to invoke certain provisions of FCRA against it.
