Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma has urged the Centre to consider the state’s concerns over the proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, after meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. The meeting focused on provisions of the Bill that have raised concerns among church bodies and civil society organisations in the state.Speaking to reporters after the meeting on Thursday, Lalduhoma said Amit Shah assured him that the proposed amendments would not have retrospective effect.”The only thing that is very clearly mentioned to us is that it’s not going to be retrospective. That assurance was given to us, and the rest of the points will be given a paragraph-wise comment by him. He is going to start the discussion on the 12th of this month in Parliament,” the Chief Minister said.
Lalduhoma said the state government submitted a memorandum outlining its concerns over various provisions of the proposed legislation and expressed hope that the Centre would consider Mizoram’s recommendations during the parliamentary debate.A delegation of church leaders from Mizoram also met the Union Home Minister and submitted a joint memorandum highlighting objections to several clauses in the proposed Bill.Reverend Lalhmangaiha, General Secretary of the Council of Churches in Mizoram, said one of the main concerns relates to a provision that, according to their understanding, could allow the government to take over assets created using foreign contributions after an organisation voluntarily surrenders or loses its FCRA licence, even if the funds had been used legally.”We have come here to submit a joint memorandum regarding the new FCRA Amendment Bill 2026, in which some of the points we find difficult to accept. Those organisations are licensed to receive foreign funds for a special purpose. Even though they use the funds legally and legitimately, whenever the licence is cancelled or voluntarily surrendered because they no longer require foreign funds, the assets they have built before would be taken away. That is our understanding, and if that is the case, we do not feel comfortable with it,” he said.
The church body urged the Centre to review the provisions, saying organisations that have lawfully used foreign contributions should not face uncertainty over assets created through such funding.The proposed amendments have generated concern among several religious and charitable organisations, particularly in the Northeast, where many educational institutions, hospitals and social welfare organisations receive foreign funding under the existing FCRA framework.
