Lok Sabha Question No. 33 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-21
Subject: Foreign Aid to the States
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: Adv. Adoor Prakash

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FINANCE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION NO.33 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.07.2025

## Foreign Aid to the States

## 33. Adv. Adoor Prakash:

Will the Minister of Finance be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has granted permission to the State of Maharashtra to receive foreign  contributions  under  Foreign  Contribution  Regulation Act  (FCRA)  for  the  Chief Minister's Relief Fund;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government had declined the request of the State Government of Kerala for accepting foreign aid following the flood occurred in the State in 2018;
- (d) if so, the details and the reasons thereof; and
- (e) the criteria for accepting the foreign aid to the States?

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE

## ANSWER (SHRI PANKAJ CHAUDHARY)

(a) to (e)

As intimated by the MHA,

- no  permission  has  been  granted  by  the  Government  of  India  to  the  State  of Maharashtra to receive foreign contributions under Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), 2010.
- As per Section 11 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 (FCRA) , no person  shall  accept  foreign  contribution  unless  such  person  has  obtained  a certificate  of  registration  or  prior  permission  from  the  Central  Government. Applications for registration or prior permission are to be submitted online in Form FC-3A or FC-3B respectively, through the Ministry's portal https://fcraonline.nic.in. These  applications  must  be  accompanied  by  requisite  documents  such  as  the memorandum  of  association,  activity  reports,  audited  financial  statements,  and affidavits/ declarations by office bearers, as prescribed under the Rules.

The grant of registration is subject to fulfilment of eligibility conditions under Section 12(4) of the Act, including lawful existence, engagement in genuine activities for the benefit of society etc.

In accordance with these provisions, the Chief Minister's Relief Fund, Maharashtra, which is a distinct legal entity incorporated as a public charitable trust, independently submitted an application under the FCRA. Upon examination of its application  and  satisfaction  of  all  statutory  conditions,  FCRA  registration  was granted in May 2025.

- As per FCRA portal, no application for registration or prior permission under FCRA, 2010  had  been  received  from  Chief  Minister's  Distress  Relief  Fund  (CMDRF), Kerala.
- Further, in exercise of the powers conferred under Section 50 of the FCRA, the Central Government has, vide Notification S.O. 459(E), dated 30th January 2020, exempted organisations (not being a political party), constituted or established by or under a Central Act or a State Act or by any administrative or executive order of the  Central  Government  or  any  State  Government  and  wholly  owned  by  the respective Government and required to have their accounts compulsorily audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) or any of the agencies of the CAG, from the operation of all provisions of the FCRA.