NEW DELHI, March 29, 2000 (Newsroom) -- India's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition government will propose new controls over the flow of foreign money to religious organizations, partly in a bid to curb the activities of foreign Christian missionaries, Newsroom has learned.
The Law Commission of India has prepared a series of amendments to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) of 1976 on the instructions of the government. The National Law Commission drafts proposed legislation for the government.
The commission, headed by retired Supreme Court judge B.P. Jeevan Reddy, is expected to submit its report soon as the tenure of the current members expires on August 31.
Commissioners also have proposed amendments to the Citizenship Act and the Foreigners Act to control terrorist activities and foreign Christian missionaries in the country. Under the proposed amendments, organizations receiving foreign funds would have to specify how they used the money, said an official in the Law Ministry.
The central government already has amended certain provisions of the FCRA and stipulated that all organizations which receive funds from foreign agencies should get an affidavit from the district administrator explaining the nature of their past and current activities.
"With the new legislation passed, each foreigner in the country will be under constant observation of the official agencies," said the Law Ministry official who asked not to be identified. There will be strict penalties on foreigners who overstay their permits, he added.
In its recommendations on amending the Citizenship Act, the commission also proposed that all Indian citizens be provided identity cards, including children. "The government will make use of the village-level administrations to collect the details and distribute the cards," the official said. Information technology firm Tata Consultancy Services has been asked to finalize the project for the distribution of identity cards.
Copyright © 2000 Newsroom.
Used with permission.