31-member parl panel set up to examine FCRA amendment bill
The Lok Sabha has formed a 31-member parliamentary committee to scrutinize the contentious Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill. The committee, chaired by BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal, includes members from various political parties and is tasked with submitting a report by the winter session.
Why it matters
The bill is highly controversial due to provisions allowing the government to seize assets of NGOs if their licenses are revoked, raising concerns about civil society oversight.
NEW DELHI: Three weeks after Lok Sabha decided to send the contentious Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill to a parliamentary committee for scrutiny, Speaker Om Birla Thursday named 31 members of the panel, with BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal made chairperson.BJP-led NDA's 19 MPs will be in the committee, while Congress has favoured members from minority communities as their representatives.Opposition parties, including DMK, which has split from the INDIA bloc, have been critical of the bill and supported concerns of Christian bodies that the bill's provisions will adversely impact NGOs run by them, a contention rejected by govt, even though it agreed to send the draft law for wider scrutiny to the panel to evolve a consensus.With many parties taking time in nominating their choices, the committee's constitution was held up.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in