The Kollam-based Mata Amritanandamayi Math has denied that it has been listed by the Centre as a defaulter under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).
This comes after the Centre had erroneously classified the Math as a defaulter under its earlier name ‘Mata Amritanandamayi Mission.’
A subsequent notification by the Centre said that the change of name from Mata Amritanandamayi Mission had been approved as early as on June 3, 1990.
Consequently, the old registration number has been cancelled, which invalidates the show-cause notice issued for not furnishing mandatory annual returns for three financial years from 2009-10.
Earlier, the Home Ministry had posted names and addresses of some NGOs as defaulters in filing annual FCRA returns wherein ‘Mata Amritanandamayi Mission’ was also included.
A spokesperson for the ‘math’ said the Mission was an organisation formed by the devotees of ashram founder and spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi.
After the formal registration of the math, the Mission was dissolved and merged with the math. None on the board of the math, which is headquartered near Kollam, has ever been a member of the board of the Mission.
The math has been submitting its FCRA returns regularly within the stipulated deadlines and fully complying with all legal requirements, the spokesperson added.