The Indian Home Ministry has reportedly asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to investigate the Indian arm of the global non-profit Oxfam, following allegations that it was violating the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2020.
Various sources, on condition of anonymity, have said that various breaches of the FCRA were noted by an Income Tax department survey seven months ago on the offices of Oxfam India and Centre for Policy Research (CPR).
They added that emails found during the survey last year indicate that Oxfam India was planning to circumvent FCRA by routing funds to other associations or for-profit consultancy route.
One of these is the think tank CPR, whose FCRA licence was suspended by the Union Home Ministry in March last year. A suspension of the FCRA licence means an organisation cannot receive foreign funding.
The government's move was slammed by the opposition Congress and was raised by the United Kingdom at a bilateral meeting.
Oxfam India is the local branch of global NGO Oxfam and works for the rights of Adivasis, Dalits, Muslims, and women and girls across the country. The ministry of home affairs (MHA), in December 2021, refused to renew Oxfam India’s FCRA licence.
The funds were allegedly routed to the Centre for Policy Research through its associates and employees in the form of commission, sources said. This was also reflected from the TDS data of the non-profit, which logged payment of ₹ 12,71,188/- to the Centre for Policy Research in the 2019-20 financial year under Section 194J.