Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma welcomed the decision to send the Foreign Contribution Regulation Amendment Bill, 2026, to a Joint Parliamentary Committee. The Lok Sabha approved this 31-member panel on August 12. It will scrub the bill before the Winter Session.
Sangma and the National People's Party pushed back against the original proposal early. They wanted the Centre to hear from churches and religious groups. "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 led a group from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India to meet Rijiju. He also organized a delegation to see Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Other political leaders eventually joined the cause. Sangma claims his efforts focus on local institutions rather than petty politics.
The parliamentary panel must now reconcile federal control with the needs of social organizations. Sangma believes the government needs to walk a thin line. It must regulate foreign cash flows without crippling honest charity work. He trusts the committee will find that balance.
Updated at 13th August 2026 at 6:30pm
Sangma swiped at critics who claimed the NPP was slow to act. He maintained his party jumped on the issue the second the bill hit the floor, acting long before other political outfits jumped into the fray. He framed the move not as political maneuvering, but as a direct response to pleas from schools, churches, and humanitarian groups that rely on outside cash to keep their doors open.
Speaking at a recent event at the new Hawkers Market in Polo, Sangma argued the JPC referral gives those local groups a direct line to the feds. He said the committee format provides a clear channel for these organizations to explain their practical, day-to-day struggles to lawmakers.
Updated at 14th August 2026 at 9:45am
Sangma is taking the fight for local institutions a step further. On August 14, he announced the state will set up a dedicated FCRA cell inside the Home Department. The office aims to guide local groups through the thicket of funding applications and renewals.
The move should stop organizations from wasting time and money on trips to the capital. Sangma confirmed the state is already hashing out the details with the Union Home Secretary. The plan involves setting up a system where federal officials drop in periodically to help iron out red tape locally in Shillong. Sangma says the goal is to make sure organizations do not lose their assets or face unnecessary hardship while trying to stay compliant.
Comments