BENGALURU: While the entire nation is looking at the Centre's actions against some NGOs that received foreign funding, in Karnataka, documents pertaining to NGOs' links with foreign agencies have mysteriously gone missing from the assembly secretariat.

During the July 2014 legislature session, former speaker K R Ramesh Kumar had raised the issue of NGOs in Karnataka having links with foreign agencies. Kumar said that NGOs in the state had received Rs 1,069 crore since 2006. He said the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) were the sources for his information.

To substantiate the claims, he submitted a series of documents to the House, handing over the evidence to the assembly secretary. However, these documents have mysteriously vanished from the lockers of the secretariat.

Speaking to TOI, Kumar said: "I had presented those documents to the assembly secretariat. Now I have been informed that they are missing.'' A prominent portion of the documents relate to a single NGO Samaja Parivarthana Samudhaya (SPS), run by social activist S R Hiremath.

It is said the documents also throw light on protests organized in Kudgi against a thermal power plant by NTPC and other major "developmental" activities in the state.

When TOI asked for his response, SPS convenor Hiremath said: "We have nothing to say about the missing documents. In fact, we have been repeatedly asking the government to reveal the investigations against NGOs. There is no harm in the Centre and state governments investigating NGOs if they have any suspicions against them."

Secretariat sources claimed the needle of suspicion points towards then assembly Secretary P Omprakash, who was "negligent" in handling those papers and has since retired. Reacting to this allegation, Omprakash said he has nothing to comment on this. "Since then I have retired from my position. I cannot say anything," he said.

Last week, home minister K J George called the secretariat officials to seek details about the investigations done so, when the issue came to light. As per reports, 2,422 NGOs in Karnataka get Rs 800 crore funds every year.

