NGO licences: Govt under attack

Government on Tuesday came under attack from Congress and NGOs for its decision to scrap licenses of more than 9000 NGO’s for allegedly violating Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), accusing it of being “revengeful” and targeting selectively. Congress leaders said certain non-governmental organisations(NGOs) which were critical of government polices were on the firing line. 

Senior Congress leader Verappa Moily said the present government is “very revengeful” and its actions amounted to curbing the movement of NGOs. “The government is merely drawing inferences...this is not in the interest of the country. Creating an image that all the NGOs are not good is not good for the country,” he said and added that if there was an erring NGO, it should be prosecuted.

Greenpeace activist Priya Pillai, who was prevented from going abroad to the UK, said that her organisation had been publishing its accounts on its website. “We are not being targeted for our accounts. The main issue why Greenpeace and some other NGOs are being targeted is because it has a voice of dissent. Because they have been working for tribal rights, land rights of communities,” she said.