Probe found fund diversion, says PMO

NEW DELHI: Apart from the NGOs headed by visible faces of the anti-Koodankulam protests, such as PMANE’s S P Udayakumar and bishop Yuvan Ambrose, coming under the scanner of the Ministry of Home Affairs, two Christian groups, People’s Education for Activities & Liberation and Good Vision, have been slapped with notices freezing their bank accounts.The names of these two NGOs, along with Tuticorin Diocese Association (TDA) and Tuticorin Multipurpose Social Service Society (TMSSS) - administered by Bishop Ambrose, have subsequently been taken off the list of 42,000 NGOs which have been given FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) clearance. It’s quite well known that Bishop Ambrose has been actively involved in the anti-Koodankulam plant protests. Sources said that his Tuticorin Diocese has even resisted intervention from the Catholic Bishops Council of India, following the government crackdown. Speaking specifically of Udayakumar, top PMO officials said: “He and certain members in the protest group are not willing to listen to any reason. Talking to them was like talking to the wall, they came with one agenda of stalling the (Koodankulam) project and were not interested in any explanation or dialogue.”While the 70-year-old TMSSS has received funds of up to of Rs 44 crore, from French, German and US-based donors, PMANE received funds to the tune of Rs 1.5 crore and TDA, Rs 23 crore. Minister of State of V Narayanasamy confirmed to Express that “notices have been served’’ and that “the NGOs have been put under the scanner only after preliminary investigation by a Home Ministry team showed several irregularities” in the accounts.He also confirmed that further probe into funding patterns of NGOs is being undertaken by the government, that is MHA — through the CBI and the State police. It could be noted that NGOs and civil society activists have been holding anti-government demonstration across the country for months on issues ranging from corruption to nuclear power.