SHILLONG : Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has questioned the role and contribution of Congress leader Vincent H Pala in addressing concerns surrounding the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), urging political leaders to focus on concrete action rather than criticism.
Sangma said the proposed FCRA amendments are currently before the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) and maintained that the state government’s position would be determined only after examining the details of the proposed legislation.
“The question of supporting or not supporting arises only after we see the details of any particular Bill or Act. Now the FCRA has been sent to the JPC,” the Chief Minister said.
CM Questions Pala’s Engagement With Centre
Taking aim at the Opposition, Sangma questioned how frequently Pala had engaged with the Union Government on the issue and whether he had taken steps to raise the matter with the Union Home Ministry.
“I don’t know how many times Pala has met the home minister or even asked his leaders to meet and discuss and take up this issue at the home secretary level,” Sangma said.
The Chief Minister said that while criticism was part of politics, political leaders should also demonstrate what they had done to address the concerns.
“So I think actions are important. One can always criticize anybody else. The question is what have you done? What is your role or contribution and how are you contributing?” he said.
CM Praises Leaders Meeting Union Home Minister
Sangma also welcomed recent efforts by leaders from the United Democratic Party (UDP) and other political parties who met Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss concerns related to the FCRA.
“I am very happy the other day the UDP MLAs went to meet the home minister and discussed FCRA. I saw other leaders from other political parties going and meeting – that’s really what matters you see,” he said.
The Chief Minister reiterated that the state government’s priority remains finding a solution to the FCRA-related concerns while protecting the interests of people and organisations in Meghalaya.
The FCRA issue has emerged as a significant concern among several voluntary organisations and civil society groups in the state, particularly over the potential impact of proposed amendments on organisations receiving foreign contributions.