Tax raids on NGO Oxfam, think tank CPR & Bengaluru-based media foundation over alleged FCRA violation

New Delhi: The Income-Tax department on Wednesday conducted a survey operation against Delhi-based think tank Centre for Policy Research (CPR) and global NGO Oxfam India and a Bengaluru-based media foundation as part of a probe related to alleged FCRA contravention in funds received by them, official sources told PTI. The media foundation Independent and Public-Spirited Media Foundation partly funds several digital media outlets in India. The I-T department also raided three more organisations in the NGO and charitable organisation domain, they added. The department visited the premises of these organisations around noon and inspected the book of accounts and financial transactions as part of the probe related to an alleged contravention of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), sources told PTI. The office staff and main directors and office bearers were questioned too. As for CPR, Income Tax sources told ANI that the search was carried out based on “credible information” about tax evasion.

Regarding its funding, the CPR website says that the think tank is recognised as a not-for-profit society by the government and contributions “are tax exempt”. It says CPR receives grants from the Indian Council for Social Science Research (ICSSR), and is a Department of Science and Technology (DST) recognised institution. CPR says it is a member institution of the Think Tank Initiative (TTI), a programme of the International Development Research Centre. The raids came on the same day income tax searches were conducted across some states including Maharashtra & Gujarat as part of the probe into alleged tax evasion and financial impropriety by unrecognised political parties over donations received without statutory compliances. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.