Jun 21 2017 : The Times of India (Chennai)
10K NGOs face action as `last chance' for filing returns expires
Bharti Jain
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New Delhi:
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The home ministry is contemplating graded penal action against nearly 10,000 NGOs who are yet to file their annual returns under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Rules, 2011, for all or some years between 2010-11to 201415, notwithstanding a onemonth grace window offered by the home ministry to do the same.Ministry sources said as many as 286 NGOs that were yet to file returns for a single year upon expiry of grace period on June 15, 2017, could face tough action including cancellation of registration under the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA) and review of renewal already granted.The fate of the remaining NGOs with partial compliance is still being discussed and the penalty may be graded depending on the extent of compliance.
The home ministry had, upon noticing that as many as 18,523 NGOs registered under FCRA had not filed their annual returns for some or all five years be tween 2010-11 and 2014-15, issued a public notice on May 12 asking them to file the same between May 15 and June 15. While describing it as a last chance for the defaulting NGOs, the ministry had assured them that no late fee would be imposed for late filing of returns.
Of the 18,523 defaulting NGOs as on May 14, 2017, as many as 1,835 had not filed returns for all five years in question, 5,766 had not done so for four years, 4,379 for three years, 3,398 for two years and 3,145 for one year.
At the end of the grace period, while 8,267 NGOs completely fell in line by filing annual returns for all five years, 2,239 did so for four missed years, 2,072 for three years, 2,057 for two years and 2,339 for one year.As many as 1,549 of the 1,835 NGOs who had not filed annual returns for a single year between 2010-11 to 2014 15, in gross violation of FCRA and Rule 17 of FCRR, have done so now.
Home ministry sources said the ministry is contemplating a graded response depending on the extent of compliance by the aforesaid NGOs, with the 286 defaulters yet to file a single return most likely to face cancellation of registration and review of renewal already granted. “As for the remaining, the likely penal action is still being discussed....Chances are that a graded penalty may be imposed, with the NGOs that have filed returns for four of five years being shown leniency and those who have filed returns for just one year facing tougher penalty ,“ said a home ministry spokesperson.
There are roughly around 25,000 NGOs in the country registered under FCRA.
The home ministry had, upon noticing that as many as 18,523 NGOs registered under FCRA had not filed their annual returns for some or all five years be tween 2010-11 and 2014-15, issued a public notice on May 12 asking them to file the same between May 15 and June 15. While describing it as a last chance for the defaulting NGOs, the ministry had assured them that no late fee would be imposed for late filing of returns.
Of the 18,523 defaulting NGOs as on May 14, 2017, as many as 1,835 had not filed returns for all five years in question, 5,766 had not done so for four years, 4,379 for three years, 3,398 for two years and 3,145 for one year.
At the end of the grace period, while 8,267 NGOs completely fell in line by filing annual returns for all five years, 2,239 did so for four missed years, 2,072 for three years, 2,057 for two years and 2,339 for one year.As many as 1,549 of the 1,835 NGOs who had not filed annual returns for a single year between 2010-11 to 2014 15, in gross violation of FCRA and Rule 17 of FCRR, have done so now.
Home ministry sources said the ministry is contemplating a graded response depending on the extent of compliance by the aforesaid NGOs, with the 286 defaulters yet to file a single return most likely to face cancellation of registration and review of renewal already granted. “As for the remaining, the likely penal action is still being discussed....Chances are that a graded penalty may be imposed, with the NGOs that have filed returns for four of five years being shown leniency and those who have filed returns for just one year facing tougher penalty ,“ said a home ministry spokesperson.
There are roughly around 25,000 NGOs in the country registered under FCRA.
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