There are about 38 blacklisted NGOs in state: West Bengal to Centre

West Bengal has informed the Centre that there are about 38 blacklisted non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the state and that none of the foreign-funded organisations active in Darjeeling or adjoining areas are supporting projects concerning China.

The clarification came following a query by the Union home ministry to identify NGOs working against national interests on the India-Bangladesh border, in Darjeeling and on tribal issues in Sundarbans, said people aware of the matter.

The state police, while providing the list of blacklisted NGOs, said 21 cases were registered against various NGOs in West Bengal between 2018 and 2021. The police said it was investigating these cases but it was not sure if any one of these NGOs was foreign funded. The offences for which the NGOs are being probed include impersonation, cheating, forgery and misappropriation of funds, said the people.


The Enforcement Directorate in Kolkata was further asked to identify NGOs under investigation for receiving funds from abroad.

Despite repeated attempts, West Bengal's acting director general of police, Manoj Malviya, did not respond to ET's queries.

Another police official from the state, however, said on condition of anonymity, "We are doing the identification work and reports are being prepared. All the agencies are working in coordination in Bengal and that is why we have seen certain arrests in the recent past. However, this is confidential information and it cannot be shared in detail."

The Union home ministry did not respond to ET's queries.

Under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Amendment Act (FCRA), 2020, the government can direct the violator not to use the funds by holding a "summary inquiry". Earlier, it was done only after the person or association was "found guilty" of violation of the Act. The new rules also limit administrative expenses and require that the foreign contribution be received in the designated branch of State Bank of India at Parliament Street in New Delhi.

As per the Union home ministry, the annual inflow of foreign contribution was more than ₹58,000 crore between 2016-17 and 2018-19. On Monday, a controversy erupted over the ministry's move not to grant renewal of FCRA licence to Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity citing "adverse inputs". West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee expressed shock at reports that the government had frozen Missionaries of Charity's bank accounts.

The NGO later clarified that neither its FCRA licence has been suspended nor cancelled. "We have been informed that FCRA renewal applications have not been approved. Therefore, as a measure to ensure that there is no lapse, we have asked our centres not to operate any of the FC (foreign currency) accounts until the matter is resolved," said Sister Prema, superior general, Missionaries of Charity.