Undue interference in functioning of minority institutions: Apex Catholic body on FCRA Bill

NEW DELHI: (Mar 27) The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) on Thursday expressed "grave concern" over the proposed amendments to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, describing the Bill introduced in the Lok Sabha as "dangerous and alarming" in its implications.

In a press statement, the apex body of the Catholic Church in India said the proposed changes, "brought under the pretext of licence renewal", could enable "executive overreach" into constitutionally guaranteed freedoms, raising serious concerns about "undue interference" in the functioning of minority institutions and civil society organisations.

The CBCI objected to provisions that would empower the central government as the licensing authority ”to deny renewal or cancel licences and, through a newly proposed mechanism, assume control over institutions, funds, properties and assets of NGOs and minority bodies.