Maharashtra CM’s Relief Fund gets Centre’s nod to receive foreign donations for social programmes
Mumbai: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has granted Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010, registration to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) of Maharashtra, thereby allowing it to receive foreign donations for “social” initiatives.
This marks the first instance of a state government’s relief fund receiving FCRA approval, a move that will enable the fund to supplement financial aid for victims of natural disasters, major accidents, communal violence, terrorist attacks, and for individuals requiring medical or educational assistance, as reported by The Hindu.
State relief funds generally rely on domestic contributions. The Centre’s latest decision departs from its earlier stance in 2018, when it declined foreign aid for flood relief efforts in Kerala.
The CMRF, registered as a Trust under the Bombay Public Trusts Act, 1950, is overseen by the Maharashtra government under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister. A tender floated in February indicated that the average number of transactions handled by the CMRF are between one lakh and 1.5 lakh per year.
The Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES), established in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, was exempted from FCRA provisions and permitted to maintain a separate account for foreign donations.
The Home Ministry regulates foreign donations through the FCRA to ensure that such funds do not adversely affect country’s internal security, added the report. All associations, NGOs, or groups intending to receive foreign funds for social, educational, religious, economic, or cultural activities must be registered under the Act.
So far this year, FCRA registration has been granted to 244 organisations, including the Ramakrishna Mission in Kolkata, the Ramakrishna Mission Hospital in Itanagar, and several Buddhist associations. As of May 30, India has 16,141 FCRA-registered NGOs.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
