Mamata shocked; NGO calls it a “cruel gift” to the poor, MHA cites noncompliance of FCRA rules
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – The Central Government came under heavy fire after all bank accounts of late Mother Teresa’s NGO Missionaries of Charity (MoC) based in Kolkata were frozen.
In a press statement issued on Monday, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that the government had rejected the MoC’s application to renew their registration under the FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) for “not meeting the eligibility conditions under FCRA 2010 and Foreign Contribution Regulation Rules (FCRR) 2011”.
“While considering the MoC’s renewal application, some adverse inputs were noticed. In consideration of these inputs on record, the renewal application of MoC was not approved. The FCRA registration of MoC was valid up to 31st December 2021. MHA didn’t freeze any accounts of MoC. State Bank of India has informed that MoC itself sent a request to SBI to freeze its accounts,” the MHA said.
MHA on Missionaries of Charity: While considering MoC’s FCRA regn renewal plea, adverse inputs were noticed. So renewal not approved. FCRA regn of MoC is valid upto Dec 31. MHA didn’t freeze any a/c of MoC. SBI has informed that MoC itself sent a request to it to freeze its a/c. pic.twitter.com/CBnnpP7xTd
— Bharti Jain (@bhartijainTOI) December 27, 2021
The government has issued the statement after some news outlets reported about the freezing of MoC’s bank accounts.
Reacting to the Centre’s move with shock, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her concern over its impact on the people associated with the MoC.
“Shocked to hear that on Christmas, the Union Ministry FROZE ALL BANK ACCOUNTS of Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity in India! Their 22,000 patients & employees have been left without food & medicines.While the law is paramount, humanitarian efforts must not be compromised,” tweeted Banerjee.
In a statement on Monday, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Calcutta, Fr. Dominic Gomes, described the government’s move as “a cruel Christmas gift to the poorest of the poor”.
Condemning the government’s action, Gomes said he was appalled by “the timing and lack of empathy to consider the humanitarian disaster this decision will cause”.
He said “besides over 22,000 direct dependants and beneficiaries at their centers across the country, MC Sisters and Brothers reach out to uplift thousands and are often the only friends of the lepers and social outcast no one will even venture near.”
“Overlooking the fact that MCs of St. Mother Teresa give up all worldly goods, sleep on the floor and, and earn no money – giving whatever they have in service to the poorest in every corner of the earth, especially our poorest of Indians –, he said, this latest attack on the Christian community and their social outreach is even more a dastardly attack on the poorest of India’s poor, who the MC congregation serves.”
