MHA did not freeze bank accounts: Official clarification from Missionaries of Charity

Kolkata: The Missionaries of Charity, on Monday, December 27, clarified that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had not ordered a freeze on any of its accounts.

The charity organisation, founded by the late Mother Teresa, issued a statement that it had asked its centres not to operate the Foreign Contribution accounts to avoid any lapses as its FCRA – Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act renewal application has not been approved.

“We have been informed that our FCRA renewal application has not been approved. Therefore, as a measure to ensure there is no lapse, we have asked our centres not to operate any of the FC (foreign contribution) accounts until the matter is resolved,” the official statement by Sr M Prema, the superior general of Missionaries of Charity said.

Further, the superior general clarified, “FCRA registration of Missionaries of Charity has neither been suspended nor cancelled. Further, there is no freeze ordered by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on any of our bank accounts.”

Earlier, multiple media reports claimed that bank accounts of Missionaries of Charity were frozen by the Central government. ”Shocked to hear that on Christmas, Union Ministry FROZE ALL BANK ACCOUNTS of Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity in India! Their 22,000 patients & employees have been left without food & medicines,” West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had tweeted.

Later the news was termed ‘false’ by the MHA.

(With inputs from agencies)