Photo Courtesy: nenow
Shillong: The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, has ordered consulted organisations in Meghalaya to submit written replies within 15 days. The panel is still hashing out the details. They have not reached a consensus on the proposed changes.
During a session in Shillong, the committee heard from nearly 40 organisations representing Meghalaya, Nagaland, Assam, and Manipur. These groups included religious bodies, NGOs, and advocates for persons with disabilities. The JPC plans to consult roughly 84 organisations total, with more than 40 hailing from the Northeast. They will also visit Kochi and Chennai.
BJP MP and committee member Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal addressed concerns regarding potential government overreach. He stated, "The amendments would ensure that places of worship, including temples, churches and mosques, could continue functioning without interference." Jaiswal noted that religious institutions pull in about six percent of the annual Rs 22,000 crore in foreign contributions. NGOs and other groups collect the remaining 94 percent.
The bill mandates that incoming foreign funds first pass through a designated State Bank of India account in New Delhi. This allows the government to track the money at the source. Once processed, organisations can shift the funds to their local bank accounts. Jaiswal also took note of complaints regarding registration hurdles for disability-focused groups. He promised these suggestions would be reviewed during the drafting stage. Existing law already bans political parties, judges, and journalists from accepting foreign cash.
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