An Oxfam retailer. File
| Photo Credit: AP
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on April 19 carried out searches on the Delhi office of Oxfam India, following the registration of a case against the organisation and its office-bearers, alleging violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).
Listing the alleged violations, the First Information Report (FIR) stated the e-mail communication discovered throughout an Income Tax survey confirmed that Oxfam India had been planning to pressurise the Indian authorities for the renewal of FCRA registration by way of “foreign governments and foreign institutions”.
“Oxfam India has the reach and influence to request multilateral foreign organisations to intervene on its behalf with the Government of India. This exposed Oxfam India as a probable instrument of foreign policy of foreign organisations/entities which have funded Oxfam India liberally over the years,” it stated.
The Home Ministry stated regardless that Oxfam India’s FCRA registration had ended, it deliberate to avoid the provisions by routing funds by way of different methods. “From the email found during the IT survey by the CBDT [Central Board of Direct Taxes], it appears that Oxfam India is providing funds to the Centre for Policy Research [CPR] through its associates/employees in the form of commission,” stated the Ministry.
Not in line
The identical was allegedly mirrored within the Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) knowledge of the organisation, which confirmed a fee of over ₹12.71 lakh to the CPR in 2019-20. Stating that Oxfam India had acquired FCRA registration to hold out social actions, the Ministry stated the fee made to the CPR by way of its associates or staff within the type of fee (skilled or technical companies), was not in step with its acknowledged targets.
“Oxfam India continued to pay sub grants to various partners even after coming into forces of FCR Amendment Act, 2020, which prohibits such transfers. The FCRA Amendment…states that FCRA-registered association would not be entitled to transfer or subgrant any of the FC [Foreign Contribution] to other organisation whether registered or unregistered under the FCRA…,” it stated.
As talked about within the FIR, Oxfam India apparently used to route funds of its overseas associates — comparable to Oxfam Australia and Oxfam Great Britain — in India to pick non-government organisations and on the identical time, exercised management over the funds and initiatives. From the emails, it appeared that the organisation was planning to route funds to the opposite FCRA-registered associations or by way of for-profit consultancy route.
Oxfam India acquired overseas contribution amounting to about ₹1.50 crore from 2013-14 to 2015-16 straight in its account, as a substitute of receiving the funds within the FCRA-designated checking account, the FIR alleges.
