FCRA bribery case leads to overhaul of MHA's foreigners division

Following the arrest of six ministry of home affairs officials in the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) bribery case, the foreigners division of MHA has been overhauled to break the chain of deep-rooted network.

The MHA has made major changes in the functioning and role of officials in the FCRA unit of the foreigners division.

In a recent order, joint secretary BC Joshi has been given charge of matters related to the FCRA service wing and FCRA monitoring wing of the foreigners division, and Vijay Singh Rana, director (FCRA) has been given additional charge of all matters related to FCRA of the foreigners division.

The foreigners division of MHA, which contains foreigners, Indian citizenship, FCRA, immigration and monitoring units, used to be headed by joint secretary Sumant Singh, IAS.

After the Central Bureau of Investigation unearthed a syndicate operating under the FCRA unit, that include representatives of NGOs, middlemen and public servants of MHA who were facilitating illegal FCRA clearances in lieu of bribes, the division has been restructured.

"The foreigners division will now have two joint secretaries to head two different verticals of the division. JS BC Joshi will look after FCRA service wing and FCRA monitoring wing and JS Sumant Singh will look after foreigners, Indian citizenship and immigration," said a senior MHA official.

He added that the change in the functioning of the foreigners division will bring in more transparency, efficient working and better monitoring of the division.

On May 11, the CBI conducted a nationwide raid at about 40 locations in the FCRA bribery case.

The investigating agency arrested 14 accused including six public servants for allegedly violating provision of the FCRA by facilitating illegal clearance of FCRA matters in exchange for bribes.