New Delhi : A crucial bill which was not opposed and debated in Lok Sabha was passed allowing political parties to go unscruntised for the funds they receive from abroad since 1976.

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday, passed the bill with 21 amendments to the Finance Bill 2018 amid protest by the opposition parties, the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 that bans overseas corporations from funding political parties was one among other amendments.

The rules layed down by The Representation of People’s Act bars all political parties from receiving foreign funds.

Now, with BJP government amending the FCRA through Finance Bill 2016, it has got lot easier for political parties to get foreign funds.

And more than that, it has amended it further to do away the scope for more scrutiny of funding for political party’s since 1976.

“In the Finance Act, 2016, in section 236, in the opening paragraph, for the words, figures and letters ‘the 26th September, 2010’, the words, figures and letters ‘the 5th August, 1976’ shall be substituted,” the Lok Sabha website said listing amendments to Finance Bill 2018 stands approved on Wednesday.

Both the BJP and Congress were held guilty of violating the FCRA in a 2014 Delhi High Court judgement. But after this amendment it will help both the parties greatly to escape the fallout.

The FCRA, which was passed in 1976, defined a company to be a foreign firm if it is a foreign one or Indian, registered in another country or having subsidiaries abroad. Later it was repealed and replaced with FCRA, 2010.

The defination of a foreign company was changed by the BJP government through the Finance Act, 2016, which defined it as a firm which has less than 50 percent of share capital held by a foreign entity will not be termed as foreign source any more. From september 2010, this amendment came into effect.

Foreign funds which were received by any political party before September 26, 2010, were under scrutiny when FCRA was enacted. This was before the change as approved last week.

Both the parties BJP and Congress which were found guilty of violation of the law on foreign funding withdrew appeals in the Supreme Court against a Delhi High Court verdict, as the Clause 233 in the Finance Act 2016 was passed.

On Wednesday, the Lok Sabha adopted the 2018-19 annual budget after passing the Appropriation Bill, which helps government departments to be able to spend money from the Consolidated Fund of India, and Finance Bill, containing taxation proposals.