Shillong, Nov 2: The Presbyterian Church of India (PCI) has raised concerns over delays in obtaining registration certificates and renewal under Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) during a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) consultation to hear the concerns of stakeholders in Shillong.
Rev Socratis Diengngan, chairman of the FCRA Committee, PCI, said a three-member team of the church appeared before the JPC in Shillong and raised three key issues, including delays in registration and renewal, difficulty in compliance, and asset surrender.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Rev Diengngan said they suggested an easier process without difficulties to Sanjay Jaiswal, chairperson of the JPC.
While maintaining that church assets are partially or fully made through donations collected by the organisation, Rev Diengngan said it cannot be handed over to the Centre. “More so in Meghalaya which falls under the Autonomous District Council. The Government of India or the state cannot snatch our land without following the law and rules of the Autonomous District Council,” he said.
Terming the 2026 Amendment Rules as more stringent than the Bill itself, Diengngan said implementation, if any, must be prospective and not retrospective.
“We have requested the JPC to reconsider the notified Rules and to repeal the Amendment Bill 2026 and reconsider the Amendment Rules 2026,” he said.
