SHILLONG : Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has rejected criticism that the National People’s Party (NPP) was slow to respond to the proposed changes to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, saying the party took up the matter with the Centre soon after the Bill was introduced.
Speaking to reporters during his visit to the Hawkers’ Market at Polo, Shillong, on Wednesday, Conrad said the NPP was among the first political groups to raise concerns over the proposed changes.
He pointed to his meetings with Union ministers and delegations from Meghalaya as evidence of the party’s early intervention.
Soon after the Bill was introduced, Conrad led a delegation of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) to then Union Minister Kiren Rijiju. The delegation placed before the Centre concerns from churches and other organisations that depend on foreign contributions for education, healthcare, social work and other services.
Conrad later led a Meghalaya delegation to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, where the proposed FCRA changes were discussed again.“Immediately after the Bill was tabled, we took up the matter,” he said.
The Chief Minister said the party’s position followed representations from organisations working in different parts of Meghalaya, rather than being driven by political considerations.
The proposed FCRA changes have drawn concern from church organisations and other civil society groups over provisions they say could affect their existing work and assets. CBCI had raised similar concerns with the Centre in March, calling for wider consultation before changes to the law.
Conrad welcomed the decision to send the FCRA Amendment Bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee. He said the process would give churches, religious organisations and civil society groups an opportunity to explain their concerns before the proposed changes are examined in detail.
At the same time, he said regulation of foreign contributions was necessary to prevent misuse, but legitimate organisations should not face unnecessary difficulties in carrying out their work.
The Lok Sabha referred the FCRA Amendment Bill, 2026, to a 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee on August 12 for further examination.
