Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has welcomed the Centre’s decision to refer the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), saying concerns raised by churches, religious organisations and other institutions must be properly examined before the proposed legislation moves ahead.
Sangma said on August 12 that his government and the National People’s Party (NPP) were among the first to raise concerns about the proposed amendments with the Centre. He said the party had taken up the issue soon after the Bill was initially introduced.
“When the Bill was initially tabled, NPP was in fact the only party that took up the matter at that time with Mr Kiren Rijiju,” Sangma said.
The Chief Minister recalled that he had led a delegation of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), including its president and secretary general, to meet Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. A separate delegation from Meghalaya later met Union Home Minister Amit Shah to raise concerns regarding the proposed changes.
Sangma said several other chief ministers and political parties subsequently approached the Centre on the issue.
He stressed, however, that his intervention was not politically driven. According to Sangma, the state has a close association with several organisations that could potentially be affected by changes to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), making it important for the government to consider their concerns.
“We are very thankful to the government that it has now been forwarded to the JPC,” Sangma said.
He expressed hope that the parliamentary committee would hear and examine the concerns raised by different organisations, churches and other religious bodies before making its recommendations.
Sangma also emphasised the need to maintain a balance between regulating foreign contributions and allowing legitimate institutions to continue their social and community work without facing unnecessary difficulties.
“We will be able to find a way again to ensure that the balance of regulating foreign currency, at the same time not impacting the good work being done by a large number of institutes, this balance has to be maintained,” he said.
The Chief Minister said both objectives—effective regulation of foreign contributions and ensuring that legitimate organisations can function smoothly—should be addressed through the parliamentary scrutiny process.
The Lok Sabha on August 12 approved a motion to refer the FCRA Amendment Bill, 2026, to a 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee for detailed examination. The panel is expected to consider concerns and suggestions from various stakeholders before submitting its report during the Winter Session of Parliament.
The referral to the JPC provides an opportunity for affected organisations and other stakeholders to place their views before the parliamentary panel as the government considers changes to the existing framework governing foreign contributions in the country.
