Model code of conduct prevents government officials from tackling water crisis in West Bengal

Rights: For the past fortnight, over one lakh residents from East Midnapore’s 25 blocks have been reeling under a drinking water crisis but officials cannot solve it due to the lengthy eight-phase Bengal elections.

The affected areas include Nandigram, Khejuri, Ramnagar, Bhagabanpur, Potashpur, and parts of Contai. While elections in these areas ended a month ago, neither the panchayats nor the local district authorities responsible for ensuring drinking water supply can repair or install pumps and pipelines. The reason: They have to wait until the model code of conduct is withdrawn on May 2nd, when the election results are announced.

Drinking water is mainly sourced from hand pumps in this area, and at times through motorised pumps. As with every summer, pumps and pipelines need to be repaired or replaced. However, this comes under the ambit of government tenders; and are hence forbidden while the model code is in place.

“Our elections ended weeks ago but we are still suffering from election restrictions and many of us have to lug buckets of water for a kilometre or more,” said Piyush Panda, a farmer from Uttar Lakhi village. “Women are using dirty pond water for cooking and washing dishes. We are used to the problem of drinking water every summer but are not used to not having it resolved soon,” he added.

A senior Trinamool Congress worker said that public health and engineering officials were supposed to connect 10,000 new households with piped water but could not do so because of the elections.

Read this article on the unequal impact of water scarcity in India.

Fundraising & Communications: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued a circular extending the validity of FCRA registration certificates to September 30th, 2021. This applies to all FCRA licences that have expired or will expire between September 29th, 2020 and May 31st, 2021. The decision to extend the deadline has been driven by the exigencies arising from the COVID-19 situation.

FCRA refers to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act 2010, which permits charitable organisations based in India to raise funds from foreign sources.

The order also clarified that nonprofits that have already opened an account and have the requisite permission to receive foreign aid, can henceforth receive it only in these newly-opened accounts.

The FCRA law was amended in September 2020 to include a clause that mandated that all nonprofits receiving foreign aid must necessarily open an account in State Bank of India’s New Delhi Main Branch. The government had initially set the deadline for this account opening as March 31st, 2021; it later extended it to June 30th, 2021 after several nonprofits argued in court that there had been delays because necessary approvals from MHA had not been received.

Several organisations have not been able to receive foreign funds during the crisis caused by the second wave, and this has impacted their COVID-19 relief efforts. Relaxing the foreign funding rules could significantly help organisations ramp up their operations to help individuals, supply critical healthcare equipment, and respond to communities in rural areas.

Read this article to know how amending the FCRA can have unforeseen implications.

Philanthropy & CSR: The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has issued a circular that allows corporate spending on health infrastructure for COVID-19 care to qualify as corporate social responsibility (CSR) expenditure.

This includes setting up medical oxygen generation and storage plants, manufacturing and supply of oxygen concentrators, ventilators, cylinders, and other medical equipment to counter COVID-19.  

The announcement comes at a time when all efforts are being directed towards expediting efforts to support the country’s healthcare infrastructure.

According to the circular, companies can now undertake projects and activities in collaboration with other companies using CSR funds. Additionally, they can contribute to specified research and development projects, as well as publicly funded universities and certain organisations that conduct research in science, technology, engineering, and medicine.

The government had earlier clarified that setting up makeshift hospitals and temporary COVID-19 care facilities would also be considered a CSR activity. Rajesh Verma, the Corporate Affairs Secretary, has requested businesses to consider converting vacant office buildings into COVID-19 facilities to cater to the rapidly increasing caseload.

Read this article to understand why media attention on COVID-19 deaths due to lack of oxygen in big cities has skewed donor priorities.