CM Patnaik Offers Funds To Ensure Missionaries Of Charity Face No Difficulty

Only days after the Centre disapproved the renewal of the FCRA license for Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity, the Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik, directed the district collectors to ensure that the shelter homes and orphanages under the organization in the state do not face any financial troubles. The CM further emphasized that funds from the Odisha CM Fund could ensure aid to the social organization. Previously, Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Bannerjee had reported that the Centre had frozen the foundation's bank accounts, which led to the distress of 22,000 inmates across the country.

12 Orphanages In Odisha

The Chief Minister's office said that Patnaik had directed the funds for food and treatment of inmates in orphanages and the leprosy home run by the organization, Hindustan Times reported. Missionaries of Charity has a shelter home for leprosy patients on the outskirts of the state's capital Bhubaneshwar, home to 300 patients. Moreover, the organization runs 12 orphanages with nearly 600 inmates. About 87 sisters lookout and manage for the day-to-day operations of the shelter homes and orphanages.

FCRA Guidelines And Why It Refuted The License Renewal

Organizations working for philanthropic causes can receive foreign investments according to the provisions under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010. On December 25, the Ministry of Home Affairs said that the social organization's request for renewal of license was refused for not meeting the eligibility standards for FCRA 2010. The registration was initially set to expire on October 31, but it was extended to December 31 due to several COVID-19 disruptions. After the CM decided to allow funds, BJP spokesperson Sajjan Sharma said that the government should do the same for other welfare organizations in the state.

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