The home ministry served notice to around 6000 NGOs for not filing their annual returns for five consecutive years and can lead to their license cancellation for receiving foreign donations, home ministry official said on monday.

The Show cause notices were issued on July 8 and has given time period to the concerned NGOs upto July 23 to give reply to the notice.

18523 NGOs were given opportunity in the may this year by the home ministry to file the details of their income and expenses by June 14.

These NGOs are registered under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act or FCRA which allows them to received the foreign donations.

These NGOs were directed to resumbit their annual returns for the period from financial year 2010-11 to 2014-15.

The home ministry in a circular said that these NGOs were given one time opportunity and sufficient time to comply with the provisions and file their missing annual returns by June 14 without any penalty and also the NGOs were informed by email and sms alerts on regular basis, however despite sufficient notice and adequate time the ministry has observed that 5,922 NGOs still not uploaded their annual returns as directed by the ministry, according to the circular.

Now the final show cause notice has been issued to such NGOs for why not there FCRA registration should be cancelled.