FCRA licence: SC denies relief to 6k NGOs
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
26.01.2022
New Delhi: In a setback to 6000 NGOs whose FCRA licence could not be renewed because of their failure to apply within the stipulated time period, the Supreme Court declined their pleas forcontinuationof their l icence and asked them to make representation to the government.
Abench of Justices A M Khanwilkar, Dinesh Maheswari and C T Ravikumar turned down the plea for interim relief after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that the NGOs were at fault themselves for not applyingfor renewal of licence. He submitted that the government extended FCRA licence for 11,594 NGOs, which had applied for renewal, till their applications were decided and the same relief could not be given to those which failed to apply.
Taking note of the Centre's submission, the court said the aggrieved NGOs can make representation to the Centre which will take the decision as per l aw.
The court was hearing a petition fi led by US-based NGO Global Peace Initiative which has been founded by an Indian and working closely with many NGOs, including the Missionaries of Charity. The NGO, founded by Kilari Anand, pleaded the apex court that NGOs played a very crucial and important role in reaching out to people and helped the country during the Covid pandemic which had been duly acknowledged by the government, and the Prime Minister’s Office itself. Cancellation of licences of close to 6000 NGOs at this juncture will hamper relief efforts and lea d to denial of aid to citizens in need, it said. "The work done by these NGOs helped millions of Indians. The sudden and arbitrary cancellation of FCRA registration of thousands of these NGOs violates the rights of the organisations, their workers as well as the millions of Indians who they serve. This is especially relevant at a t ime when the country is facing the third wave of the Covid-19 virus," it said.
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