Full details available at:
http://education.vsnl.com/accountaid/Tsunami_FCRA.htm
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA PRESS RELEASE
30th December, 2004
In order to facilitate the immediate acceptance of foreign assistance,
in
cash and kind by various agencies working in the Tsunami hit coastal
areas of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu,
Pondicherry and Kerala and in other parts of the country for providing
relief to the affected persons, the Central Government has exempted,
with
immediate effect and upto 31st March, 2005, all associations (other
than
a Political Party) having a definite cultural, economic , educational,
religious or social programme, from the provisions of section 6(1-A) of
the Act to accept foreign contribution, in cash and kind, for providing
relief to the affected persons without obtaining a formal approval of
the
Central Government, subject to the following Conditions-
(i) Each such association would open a new bank account for this
purpose;
(ii) The said account would be designated as the "Tsunami
Relief Account";
(iii) The association would receive foreign contribution only in
the
said designated bank account;
(iv) The association would maintain a separate set of accounts and
records in respect of foreign contribution received in the said
designated bank account;
(v) The association would submit its particulars in Form FC-1A to the
Foreigners Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs within one week of
the opening of the said designated bank account;
(vi) The association would make an intimation regarding receipt of
foreign contribution in Form FC-3 and in Form FC-6 in respect of
articles, duly certified by a Chartered Accountant, within 4 months of
the closure of the year to the Foreigners Division of the Ministry of
Home Affairs in the manner prescribed in Foreign Contribution
(Regulation
) Rules, 1976.
2. The Forms can be downloaded from the Ministry of Home Affairs
Website
at
http://mha.nic.in/fore.htm
3. Voluntary organisations already registered under the Foreign
Contribution (Regulation) Act, 1976 are hereby permitted, as a
special
case, to receive foreign contribution in cash and kind for assisting
the
victims of Tsunami, irrespective of the fact that their aims and
objects
provide for such activity or not, under intimation to the Ministry of
Home Affairs.
4. Certain voluntary organizations are also in receipt of
permission
to accept foreign contribution for a specific project. Such
organizations are also permitted, as a special case, to use the foreign
contribution for assisting the victims of Tsunami, under intimation to
the Ministry of Home Affairs.
II/21022/11(19)/2004-FCRA I
Government of India
Ministry of Home Affairs
Foreigners Division
*****
Lok Nayak Bhavan,
Khan Market,
New Delhi - 110 003
Dated the 30th December,2004
ORDER
Whereas no association having a definite cultural, economic,
educational,
religious or social programme shall accept foreign contribution unless
such association registers itself with the Central Government or
obtains
the prior permission of the Central Government under section 6 of the
Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 1976, hereinafter referred to as
the ?Act'.
2. Whereas in the aftermath of the severe Tsunami affected coastal
areas
in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu,
Pondicherry
and Kerala, a number of foreign sources have expressed a desire to send
contributions, in cash and kind, to various agencies working in these
areas and in other parts of the country to assist the victims of
Tsunami.
3. Whereas the immediate arrival of this assistance is of paramount
importance to provide succour to the affected persons and it is in the
public interest to dispense with the procedure prescribed for the
acceptance of foreign contribution in the said Act, as a special case
for
this purpose only.
4. Now, Therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 31 of
the said Act, the Central Government hereby exempts, with immediate
effect and upto 31st March, 2005, all associations (other than a
Political Party) having a definite cultural, economic , educational,
religious or social programme, from the provisions of section 6(1-A) of
the Act to accept foreign contribution, in cash and kind, for providing
relief to the Tsunami victims without obtaining a formal approval of
the
Central Government, Subject to the following Conditions-
(i) Each such association would open a new bank account for this
purpose;
(ii) The said account would be designated as the "Tsunami Relief
Account";
(iii) The associations would receive foreign contribution only in the
said designated bank account;
(iv) The association would maintain a separate set of accounts and
records in respect of foreign contribution received in the said
designated bank account;
(v) The association would submit its particulars in Form FC-1A to the
Foreigners Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs within one week of
the opening of the said designated bank account;
(vi) The association would make an intimation regarding receipt of
foreign contribution in Form FC-3 and in Form FC-6 in respect of
articles, duly certified by a Chartered Accountant, within 4 months of
the closure of the year to the Foreigners Division of the Ministry of
Home Affairs in the manner prescribed in Foreign Contribution
(Regulation
) Rules, 1976.
5. The Forms can be downloaded from the Ministry of Home Affairs
Website
at
http://mha.nic.in/fore.htm
(D.S. Mishra)
Joint Secretary to the Govt. of India |
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