Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik sanctions Rs 78.76 lakh for 13 MoC institutions

Bhubaneswar, Jan 4: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Tuesday sanctioned Rs 78.76 lakh from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund(CMRF) to support 13 institutions run by Missionaries of Charity (MoC) in the state, a statement by the Chief Minister's Office said.

Patnaik has also asked district collectors to remain in touch with the institutions run by MoC and that the government will fund them from CMRF. "Based on the requests of collectors, the Chief Minister has sanctioned assistance for 13 institutions run by MoC spread over 8 districts.

More than 900 inmates in various leprosy homes and orphanages in the state will be benefited by this decision," the CMO statement said. On December 30 Patnaik had directed all the collectors to ensure that no inmate of the institutions run by the MoC suffer, specially from food security and health related issues.

The application by Missionaries of Charity, which was set up by Mother Teresa, for renewal of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) registration was refused on December 25 for not meeting eligibility conditions as some adverse inputs were received. In a statement the MHA had said that it did not freeze any account of the MoC but State Bank of India has informed that the organisation itself sent a request to the bank to freeze its accounts. PTI