Foreign funding for terrorism should be curbed: Minister

Chennai, Sep 29 (UNI) Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Sriprakash Jaiswal today stressed the need for breaking the 'evil foreign funds chain' to contain terrorism.

Inaugurating a regional seminar on Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) 1976, jointly organised by the Standard Chartered Bank and Union Ministry of Home Affairs, he said the Act addressed internal security by ensuring that foreign aid flowed only to organisations whose antecedents and activities were not inimical to national interest.

This kind of legislation or regulation was prevalent in several countries and was not peculiar to India. 'What is really disturbing is that despite such laws in force, incidents like the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Centre, 13/12 attacks on Indian Parliament and the recent bomb blasts in Mumbai local trains took place', he regretted.

'Moreover, the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, North East and states having naxal-affected areas cannot be seen in isolation.

It is widely known that terrorists, extremists and secessionists have links in foreign soil and there is a nexus between such elements across the world', he said and added that any strategy to counter anti-national activities had to break the 'evil foreign funds chain.' Mr Jaiswal said the proposed new bill to replace the FCRA would make NGOs more transparent, rather than obstruct receipt and utilisation of foreign funds for genuine activities.

The main feature of the bill, to be tabled in the winter session of Parliament, would be to put in place a transparent system to strengthen the monitoring of receipt, utilisation and accounting of foreign contributions by NGOs.

'The accountability of the administration will be enhanced. The focus of the government is that the new bill should facilitiate rather than obstruct receipt and utilisation of foreign funds for genuine activities', he clarified.

Observing that the bill would address certain shortcomings and lacunae noticed in the implementation of the Act during the last 30 years, he said the redrafted bill would take care of the concerns and interests reflected by stakeholders.

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