NGOs get Rs 10,000 crore annually from abroad: Report

New Delhi, Mar 11: At a time when some NGOs are under surveillance for allegedly routing foreign funds to fuel unrest in India, government records show that nearly 22,000 voluntary groups have received Rs 10,000 crore donations from abroad for social service during 2009-10.

Of these NGOs, 3,218 belong to Tamil Nadu which together received Rs 1663.31 crore as contribution from abroad, mostly the US, the UK, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.

The report, prepared by the Home Ministry and vetted by Union Home Secretary R K Singh on January 11, came weeks after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that NGOs with foreign funds were stoking protests at the Kudankulam nuclear plant in Tamil Nadu.

The Home Ministry has put 12 NGOs under surveillance for allegedly misusing funds while cases have been registered against four others. "21,508 associations reported a total receipt of Rs 10,337.59 crore as foreign contribution.

Among the states and the Union Territories, the highest receipt of foreign contribution was reported by Delhi (Rs 1815.91 crore), followed by Tamil Nadu (Rs 1663.31 crore) and Andhra Pradesh (Rs 1324.87 crore). "Among the districts, the highest receipt of foreign contribution was reported by Chennai (Rs 871.60 crore), followed by Bangalore (Rs 702.43 crore) and Mumbai (Rs 606.63 crore)," the report said. From the analysis of the data for the last three years -- from 2007-08 to 2009-10 -- it emerges that the US continues to be the biggest donor country.

PTI