Source: 
Author: 
Date: 
13.07.2016
City: 
New Delhi

NEW DELHI: The Centre has told Delhi High Court that the government has a "robust and efficient" system to implement the foreign contributions regulations law as it has already imposed penalties, frozen accounts and referred to CBI and state police several NGOs for violations. 
The government in its affidavit filed before a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal said there was no need for any tribunal or body for enforcement of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, as doing so would be a "wastage of precious resources in terms of money and man power, both of judiciary as of executive". 
The submissions were made in response to a PIL by an NGO, Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), seeking creation of an independent body to implement the FCRA on grounds that conflict of interest hampered implementation of its provisions by the government, as political parties which allegedly violate this law were part of the ruling establishments sometime or the other. 
ADR has alleged that implementation of FCRA appeared to be strict on NGOs but not on politicians. It has claimed that despite a high court judgement last year holding the BJP and Congress prima facie guilty of violating FCRA provisions, the government had not taken any action. 
The government in its affidavit has contended that "at present, our system of administering FCRA is robust, efficient, just and fair and there is no need for establishing separate body or tribunal for enforcing FCRA." 
"The number of court cases pending in relation to enforcement of FCRA 2010 is 12. The miniscule number of court cases indicates there is no justification for establishment of a separate judicial tribunal for enforcement of FCRA, 2010 as it may lead to wastage of precious resources in terms of money and manpower, both of judiciary as of executive," it has said. 
The Centre has contended that the ADR's petition appears to have been preferred on behalf of various NGOs whose registration under FCRA, 2010 has been cancelled for various irregularities and statutory non-compliances. 

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