On foreign fund trail, Karnataka asks NGOs for agitation records

The Indian Express, 14 September, 2014

Karnataka’s Congress government has asked all NGOs in the state to provide details of the source and utilisation of funds received from abroad, and of the NGOs’ “involvement in agitations during the last five years”.
A detailed 33-point checklist prepared by the Internal Security Department (ISD) of the state police also seeks information on the NGOs’ “role in development”, and on their involvement in issues concerning forests, wildlife, tribal communities, and e-waste in Bangalore.
On July 10, Congress MLA and former Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar claimed in the Karnataka assembly that since 2006, NGOs in the state had received Rs 1,069 crore from abroad, and that many were using the money to stall or disrupt developmental activities such as nuclear, hydroelectricity and irrigation projects.
A month before Kumar’s intervention in the assembly, The Indian Express had first reported on a dossier that the Intelligence Bureau had submitted to the PMO on June 3, in which it had claimed that disruptions caused by NGOs was impacting GDP growth to the tune of “2-3 per cent per annum”.
Kumar, who cited intelligence sources for his information, also alleged that conservationist Dr Ullas Karanth had become a “tiger expert” after “having killed 13 tigers” in the Nagarhole tiger reserve.
Kumar was strongly backed by K G Bopaiah of the BJP, also a former Speaker of the assembly, who alleged that several NGOs in his home district of Coorg were “making money” in the name of tribal welfare. Congress MLA from Tarikere (Chikmagalur), G H Srinivasa, too alleged “malpractices” by NGOs in his constituency.
In response, Home Minister K J George announced that the state police ISD would investigate the funding of all NGOs for possible violations of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act. He promised to table the ISD’s report in the next session of the assembly.
The police, however, seem to have gone further in their scrutiny of the NGOs. Besides the routine questions on foreign funding, expenditure and audits, the ISD has sought detailed information on:
# Participation by NGOs in agitations over the last five years
# Role of NGOs in development
# Activities of NGOs in Coorg and Chikmagalur
# Role of tiger expert Ullas Karanth
# NGOs involved with issues of women’s protection, the forest department, wildlife board, evacuation/rehabilitation of tribals, devdasi children and Bangalore-based IT companies generating e-waste
# Investigation/inquiry by the CBI on NGOs’ activities
An official in the ISD claimed the form had gone out to the NGOs by mistake. “It was meant for the ISD’s internal use, and listed the areas we would focus our probe on. Only financial details were to be sought but, somehow, the entire list was sent out to some NGOs,” the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.
ISD head Amar K Pandey, ADGP, Karnataka Police, however, confirmed that the scope of the probe extended beyond the NGOs’ financial dealings. “Our mandate comes from the legislature, and we have sought information (from the NGOs) on the issues raised in the assembly debate. It is up to the NGOs how much they will disclose, say, about participating in agitations or a certain individual’s role. Our investigation is on,” Pandey said.
Praveen Bharghav of Wildlife First, a Bangalore-based NGO that does not accept foreign or government funding, said, “Under the Constitution, NGOs and citizens have wide-ranging rights and freedom to peacefully campaign against government policy and decisions, including petitioning courts. While NGOs do have to comply with regulations on funding, they cannot be intimidated on the pretext of financial scrutiny.
Some NGOs in Kodagu and Chikmagalur, including Wildlife First, have been relentlessly fighting corrupt officials and other vested interests involved in mining, tree felling etc., exposing losses of several hundred crores to the exchequer.”
Bopaiah told The Sunday Express that he was not aware of the information sought by the state government. “I supported Ramesh Kumar’s call for a probe after he furnished some documents in the assembly suggesting wrongdoings by certain NGOs,” he said.
Kumar said he could not comment immediately. “I raised the issue based on media reports and some homework in July. I am travelling, and need some time to look up those facts again before commenting,” he said.
Home minister K J George could not be reached despite repeated attempts. Ullas Karanth declined to comment.

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