The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday granted foreign fund registration to Sambhavna Trust, which works for the welfare of the victims of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy. This comes days after the trust launched an indefinite sit-in to demand restoration of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration.
The MHA had cancelled the trust’s registration around five years ago after they had not uploaded an annual report on the ministry portal.
Earlier this week, members of the Union Carbide Poison Victims Healthcare Rights Front launched a protest, stating that the MHA should facilitate speedy FCRA registration for the trust. “Sambhavna Trust Clinic that provides free specialised healthcare to the survivors of the Union Carbide disaster was shut on Sunday after its funds dried up due to the delay in the restoration of the FCRA registration,” the front claimed in a statement.
Several survivors registered for long-term care at the clinic run by the Sambhavna Trust also participated in the protest on Wednesday.
According to the trust’s website, Sambhavna Clinic opened in September 1996 and has so far provided free medical care to 35,822 people from the most severely affected parts of Bhopal. “Our first clinic was cramped, a small building with only two rooms for 13 staff, but we placed care at the heart of every decision and act. But since our first tentative steps 25 years ago, Sambhavna has established safe, simple, inexpensive and effective treatments for many exposure-related illnesses. The clinic works across local areas through our community health and education teams, who deliver public health initiatives that help over 10,000 vulnerable families,” it states.
Stay informed with access to our award-winning journalism.
Avoid misinformation with trusted, accurate reporting.
Make smarter decisions with insights that matter.
