Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council Criticizes Proposed FCRA Amendments as Excessive and Potentially Hazardous

Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council Express Concerns Over Proposed FCRA Amendments

The Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) has termed the proposed amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) as "excessive and dangerous", stating that it would lead to a denial of justice to entities that use foreign funds for charitable and philanthropic activities.

The KCBC deputy secretary general, Thomas Tharayil, said that the Bishops' body held a meeting on Tuesday to discuss the issue and communicated their concerns to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. Tharayil noted that there are already strict laws in place since 2010 regarding foreign contributions and their utilization, and that no one in the country can receive funds from abroad without the central government or agencies being aware of it.

According to Tharayil, following previous amendments to the FCRA, accounts for receiving foreign contributions can only be opened in specified State Bank of India branches in Delhi. Additionally, all FCRA license holders are required to inform the income tax department every year about how the foreign funds have been utilized. Furthermore, there are laws in place to deal with any failure to inform the IT department about the utilization of foreign funds.

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Tharayil expressed confusion about the need for the latest amendments, stating that the church is not speaking only for itself. He noted that the church is concerned about the provisions in the amendment bill that allow for the confiscation of assets, procured using foreign and local funds, of the entity whose FCRA license has been frozen or not renewed. This, he said, would be a denial of justice.

The KCBC has pointed out that the changes sought to be made are also "unconstitutional". Tharayil added that no opportunity was given to the public to indicate their views regarding the proposed amendments, and since it has been brought in "a hurried manner", the church has some apprehensions about it.

Despite the proposed amendments being listed for consideration in the Lok Sabha agenda on Wednesday, they were not taken up for discussion. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju stated that the decision was based on legislative priorities and not politics.

The FCRA Amendment Bill, introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25 by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, aims to enhance transparency and ensure proper utilization of foreign funds, while preventing their misuse against national security and interests.

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