NGO in HC against non-renewal of foreign funding registration

One of the over 11,000 NGOs, which recently lost their foreign funding registration under FCRA with the government refusing their renewal, today moved Delhi High Court challenging the Centre's decision.

Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva issued notice to the Centre asking it to give reasons for refusing to renew registration of the NGO, Centre for Promotion of Social Concerns (CPSC), under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).

The court listed the matter for further hearing on November 18.

During the brief hearing, central government standing counsel Anil Soni told the court that the NGO's registration was not renewed based on inputs of intelligence agencies.
 

He also claimed the government was exempted from giving reasons for refusing to renew the FCRA registrations.

The government had recently denied FCRA registration to 25 NGOs for being allegedly involved in anti-national activities and derecognised over 11,000 such organisations for failing to apply for renewal.

The NGO, CPSC, has contended that the only reason it was given for non-renewal of its registration was -- "On the basis of a field agency report, the competent authority has decided to refuse your application for renewal".

It has sought setting aside of the government's October 29 decision refusing to renew its registration saying that restriction of its funds "has caused a great amount of harm and it will result in a complete halt of its charitable activities which will affect a vast number of people".

The NGO claims to run various projects in the field of human rights and prevent its violations.

It has said in its plea that under the FCRA Rules, its application for renewal was to be decided in 90 days and in case of delay, reasons had to be communicated to it.

The NGO has contended that since the prescribed procedures were not followed, its registration would be deemed to have been renewed after expiry of 90 days from March 14, 2016 when it had applied for renewal.