As the government pushes the Foreign Contribution Regulation (Amendment) Bill in Parliament amid criticism from the Opposition, its provisions have caused a lot of discomfort among NGOs, which argue that their space will increasingly shrink if it becomes law.It will also impact work at the grassroots level, they argue.
NGOs are specifically rattled by the proposed ban on the transfer of foreign contribution from one FCRA-registered NGO to another.They argue that this has the potential to wipe out smaller FCRA-registered NGOs working at the grassroots level in remote areas, as they do not have access to large amounts of foreign funds.
Bigger NGOs, which have greater access to such funds but lack as wide a grassroots network, often collaborate with the smaller NGOs, partially subletting the work, sources said.Referring to the role provided by NGOs during the pandemic, VANI stated, “When India is battling a deadly disease, with so much at stake and collaborations internationally that are to be encouraged, this would be a model of control, over and above the rules, regulations and certification processes, that stifles this important sector.”
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