News Tamil Nadu

Tuticorin Diocesan Association Received Foreign Funds Despite FCRA Suspension, LRPF Seeks ED Probe

November 7, 2023
The Commune

In 2015, the Tuticorin Diocesan Association, holding an FCRA registration under FCRA ID: 076030031, faced suspension by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Surprisingly, despite this suspension, it has come to light through the efforts of the legal activist organization, the Legal Rights Protection Forum (LRPF), that they continued to receive funds.

This revelation stems from information provided by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, who was the then Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs.

In response to an unstarred question raised in Parliament (Question No. 222) on February 25, 2015, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju revealed that adverse reports from intelligence agencies prompted the suspension of FCRA registrations and freezing of bank accounts for the Tuticorin Diocesan Association and two other NGOs following inspections and investigations.

About Tuticorin Diocese

The Tuticorin Diocesan Association is a registered society operating under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860, with the registration number S1 of 1937-38. It is located at 82, Great Cotton Road, Catholic Bishops House, Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu – 628001. The association is listed on the NGO Darpan portal.

The primary objectives of the Tuticorin Diocesan Association, as detailed on the NGO Darpan Portal, include working for the welfare of children, differently-abled individuals, and the elderly. Their focus areas encompass education and literacy initiatives. The association is also said to be involved in several social services, including:

  • Operating and maintaining homes for destitute children
  • Serving as specialized adoption agencies
  • Running homes for mentally challenged boys
  • Operating rescue homes for both boys and girls
  • Managing educational institutions
  • Overseeing religious places

The Issue

In addition to receiving funds from the state government, it has come to light that the Christian NGO, Turicorin Diocesan Association, continued to receive substantial financial support from foreign sources for its activities, despite the suspension or cancellation of its FCRA registration in 2015. Detailed data, as recorded in NITI Aayog’s NGO Darpan portal, indicates that since the financial year 2015-2016, the Tuticorin Diocesan Association has received a significant sum of ₹44,507,214 (Rupees Forty-Four Crore, Fifty Lakh, Seven Thousand & Fourteen) into its Bank of Baroda account at the Tuticorin branch. This bank account is specifically designated for receiving foreign funds.

Remarkably, a substantial portion of the foreign funds received by the Tuticorin Diocesan Association appears to be earmarked for purposes related to the welfare of children, as well as the maintenance and construction of orphanages, among other activities. It is essential to emphasise that this financial support has continued despite the FCRA registration suspension or cancellation by the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2015.

When the FCRA registration of the Tuticorin Diocesan Association was suspended/cancelled, the primary reason cited by the Government of India was the concern that “NGOs were utilising Foreign Funds for Anti-National Activities.” A thorough examination of the funds’ flow, based on publicly available information, suggests that the guise of ‘Child Welfare’ may have been used as a pretext to engage in activities detrimental to the nation’s territorial integrity, economic well-being, and political stability.

The receipt of funds through the FCRA route, even after the NGO’s FCRA license was cancelled, represents a serious violation. However, the utilisation of these funds raises even more pressing questions, necessitating a comprehensive investigation by the relevant authorities to ascertain the true nature and implications of these activities.

Speaking to The Commune, LRPF’s AS Santhosh said, “Once the Government of India freezes the bank accounts, it wouldn’t be possible to receive funds to that account. But here in this case it happened so. It wouldn’t have happened without internal support. We are taking this matter to the notice of the RBI seeking investigation and action against the persons responsible.”

The complaint further highlights that, based on publicly available information, there is substantial evidence of the extensive redirection of funds originally designated for child welfare purposes towards activities with potential anti-national implications. Funds that donors had specifically earmarked for the well-being of orphaned children have instead been channelled into the maintenance, expansion, and fortification of Christian religious institutions. This diversion has, in turn, contributed to the deprivation and neglect of orphaned children, resulting in their unmet needs, while the original noble intentions of the donors have been left unfulfilled.

LRPF has submitted a request to the NCPCR, urging them to take the essential steps of recommending to the Enforcement Directorate and other pertinent law enforcement agencies to initiate a case regarding this economic offense. Additionally, LRPF has sought the intervention of your esteemed office in assembling a multi-disciplinary team comprised of child welfare specialists, chartered accountants, and law enforcement officials. This team would be responsible for conducting a comprehensive investigation into the operations and activities of the Tuticorin Diocesan Association, ultimately leading to a determination of the NGO’s eligibility to continue functioning as a registered society.

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