MARGAO
The Church body, the Council for Social Justice and Peace (CSJP) has said the proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 raises grave concerns for Goa as there is a risk of asset takeover of minority institutions.
A glance at the representation submitted to the Congress President M Kharge by CSJP Secretary Fr Savio Fernandes and Catholic Association of Goa president Cyril Fernandes shows that the Bill could affect historic educational trusts, diocesan societies, mission-run schools and colleges, hospitals, orphanages and charitable bodies in Goa that have relied on foreign contributions for infrastructure, scholarships and developmental work.
“The Bill empowers a Designated Authority to provisionally or permanently vest, supervise, manage and dispose of assets created wholly or partly from foreign contributions when an institution’s FCRA registration is cancelled, surrendered or ceases. In Goa, this could affect historic educational trusts, diocesan societies, mission-run schools and colleges, hospitals, orphanages and charitable bodies that have relied on foreign contributions for infrastructure, scholarships and developmental work,” they said.
They also highlighted the recent FCRA cancellations affecting Goa’s Archdiocese, by pointing out that recent stay granted by the Bombay High Court on the cancellation of FCRA certificates of two organisations affiliated with the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, namely the Diocesan Society of Education and the Diocesan Centre for Social Communications Media, after the Central government revoked their licences on the ground of non-receipt of foreign funds for three consecutive years. “This incident illustrates how administrative decisions can jeopardise the functioning of minority institutions in Goa, even where there is no allegation of misuse of funds,” they said.
They also pointed out that local political concern in Goa over the Bill. “In Goa, local Congress MLAs have publicly described the FCRA Amendment Bill, 2026 as a “draconian tool” aimed at silencing critics of the government, particularly those from minority communities, and has warned that the law could enable what he described as an “official loot” of properties and assets belonging to NGOs, minority institutions, charitable bodies and media organisations,” the representation stated.
Saying there would be a disproportionate impact on Goa’s minority communities, the representation stated that National data indicates that organisations associated with minority rights, freedom of expression, environmental rights and climate action are among those most impacted by FCRA cancellations and restrictions. “In Goa, where minority communities have historically relied on foreign contributions for educational expansion, healthcare infrastructure and social service programmes, the new law could have a disproportionately adverse effect on their ability to serve their own communities and the wider public,” the representation added.
Saying that Goa has a long tradition of minority-run educational, health and social service institutions, including schools, colleges, technical institutes, hospitals, dispensaries, orphanages, old-age homes, and charitable trusts, many of which have been established and managed by the Church, religious congregations and minority communities over several generations, the CSJP Secretary and the CAG President stated that these institutions have played a critical role in providing quality education, healthcare and social support to Goans across all communities, including the poor and marginalised.
