Days after revoking it, MHA restores FCRA licence of Missionaries of Charity

The Union Home Ministry has restored the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration of the Missionaries of Charity, days after revoking it, following some “adverse inputs”.

A Home Ministry official said that with the restoration of the FCRA licence, the Kolkata-based famed organisation will be able to receive foreign fundings and also can spend the money lying in the banks.

The Missionaries of Charity is a Catholic religious congregation established in 1950 by Nobel laureate Mother Teresa to help the poor and destitute.

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On December 27, the Home Ministry had said that it cancelled the FCRA licence of Missionaries of Charity after receiving some “adverse inputs”.

The Home Ministry also said that it did not freeze any account of the Missionaries of Charity, but the State Bank of India informed it that the NGO itself sent a request to the bank to freeze its accounts.

After the matter became public, the Opposition, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Congress, slammed the government for the alleged “freezing” of the bank accounts of the Missionaries of Charity.

Following the Home Ministry action, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had directed to all District Collectors to ensure that no unit of the Missionaries of Charity, operating in the state, should face any financial crisis and if necessary, use the Chief Minister’s relief fund to help them.

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Patnaik had also released over ₹78 lakh to Missionary of Charity to run over a dozen institutes in the state.

(With inputs from Agencies)