SHILLONG, SEPT 17: Citing threat to humanitarian and educational services in Meghalaya, the United Democratic Party (UDP) has urged the Joint Committee on the FCRA Amendment Bill, 2026 to ensure that “regulation must not become strangulation.”
In a letter to James P K Sangma, MP and Member of the Joint Committee, UDP General Secretary T W Chyne said the party “endorses the concerns raised by Church leaders of the State and the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Meghalaya regarding the potential impact of these amendments on the humanitarian, educational, health, and social service work carried out by our institutions.”
The party has submitted a detailed list of suggestions on both the Bill and the Rules.Flagging Sections 16A to 16H which deal with vesting of assets, the UDP said, “Automatic provisional vesting must be replaced with a court-supervised and reasoned process. No permanent vesting should take effect until all judicial appeals are exhausted.”
It added, “Charitable assets built over decades by minority institutions, Church properties and other ministries are dedicated to community purposes and must be protected.”
On retrospective application, the party stated, “The vesting provisions should apply only to foreign contributions received on or after the commencement of the 2026 Act. Assets created prior to this date must be exempt.”
The UDP also demanded complete exemption for minority institutions, saying assets administered by them “should be exempt from vesting” to protect constitutional guarantees under Articles 25 to 30.Seeking safeguards for Sixth Schedule areas, the party said provisions allowing sale or transfer of vested property “must not apply to Sixth Schedule Areas and States covered under Article 371A to 371H” and any transfer must be with prior consent of the Autonomous District Council or State Government and as per state land laws.
Other demands include disqualification for registration only on conviction by final judgment and not mere FIRs, permission to use existing funds for salaries and statutory dues during suspension, and limiting criminal liability only to functionaries who knowingly authorized violations.
On the Rules, the UDP sought exemption for honorary foreign advisors of minority institutions, umbrella operational categories instead of 105 rigid micro-categories, time-bound clearance of funds within 30 days, and consideration of domestic expenditure for determining reasonable activity.
Chyne said, “India’s strength lies in its diversity and in the service rendered by faith-based and voluntary institutions,” while urging wider consultations with state governments, Church bodies and ADCs.
The party has strongly recommended referring the amendment to a Joint Parliamentary Committee for a “balanced, people-centric FCRA framework that safeguards both national integrity and the institutions that serve the poorest of the poor in Meghalaya and the North East.”
