The tiff between Greenpeace, the environmental activist group, and the Govt. of India is is not getting abated.
Today, the foreigners division of the Home Ministry under Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act has asked Greenpeace to give a response on its foreign funding and spending pattern in the wake.
The inquiry comes as a fallout of the recent Intelligence Bureau report accusing the NGO of opposing several development projects in India.
Sources said the Home Ministry questions relate to the source of fund for the NGO, its beneficiaries, spending pattern and the purpose for which the fund has been spent, PTI said.
When contacted, Greenpeace spokesperson Bharti Sinha said she was not aware of any such development. “We always abide by the law of the land and we will cooperate with the government if there is any such questionnaire,” she said.
The Intelligence Bureau in a report ‘Impact of NGOs on Development’ said opposition to several development projects in the country by a significant number of NGOs, including Greenpeace, will have a negative impact on economic growth by two to three per cent.
The IB report also claimed some NGOs and their international donors are also planning to target many fresh economic development projects including those in Gujarat.
The report, which has been sent to the Prime Minister’s Office, the Home Minister, the National Security Adviser, the Finance Minister and others, alleged the NGOs work for stalling development projects and back agitations against nuclear power plants, uranium mines, coal-fired power plants and hydel projects.