NGOs' foreign funding in Madhya Pradesh under lens

Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh government on Tuesday announced to probe violation of Foreign Currency Regulation Act (FCRA) by some NGOs which raised foreign funds for rehabilitation of victims of Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984.

Talking to reporters in district headquarters of Jabalpur in MP, state minister for rehabilitation of gas victims Arif Akil said it has been drawn to the attention of the state government that some NGOs had raised foreign funds under the pretext of rehabilitating the victims of the gas tragedy.

According to reports, the particular NGOs allegedly committed irregularities in mobilizing foreign funds. Besides, funds raised for gas victims have allegedly been misappropriated.

Foreign funds to the tune of hundreds of crores of Rupees have been raised by some NGOs for rehabilitation of the gas victims.

Official sources said the state government has sought details on off shore funds flowed to India for rehabilitation of gas victims in the last 35 years to probe FCRA violation by the particular NGOs.

Tragedy struck Bhopal city when the deadly methyl Isocyanate (MIC) gas leaked in one of the plants of Union Carbide here in the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984.

The MP government confirmed a total of 3,787 deaths related to gas leakage. A government affidavit in 2006 stated leak caused 5,58,125 injuries, including 38,478 temporary partial injuries and approximately 3,900 permanent disabling injuries.