NEW DELHI: The home Ministry order allowing the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) to receive Foreign contributions once again, albeit with its prior nod, also comes with the rider that it report the utilisation of all the foreign funds to the health ministry on a quarterly basis.
Besides this, a committee will be set up by the health ministry under an officer not below the rank of joint secretary – comprising a representative each of the home ministry and the state governments – to conduct a quarterly review of the PHFI’s foreign contribution receipts, each of which must be pre-approved by the MHA, as well as their utilisation.
The PHFI has already given an undertaking to the home ministry that it will utilise fresh foreign contributions as well as foreign funds lying unutilised in its designated FCRA accounts strictly in accordance with provisions of the Foreign Contribution (regulation) Act or FCRA, and for the purposes for which they have been received.
Explaining the rationale behind requiring the PHFI to report to the health ministry, the January 25 home ministry order said the health ministry had contributed Rs 65 crore towards the corpus fund of the PHFI for setting up Indian Institutes of Public Health.
TOI was the first to report on February 1 that PHFI would be allowed to receive foreign funds through the prior-permission route, with riders. PHFI’s registration under the FCRA will not be restored just yet and the inquiry into alleged violations that led to the non-renewal of its foreign funding licence last year will continue.