New Delhi, August 07, 2024: The Indian government is set to introduce the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995, to amend the existing Waqf Act of 1995. Union Minister for Minority Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, cited a long-standing demand from underprivileged Muslim groups for the proposed changes, reported The Hindu.
Key aspects of the amendment include the omission of Section 40, which grants the Waqf Board authority to declare properties as waqf. The new bill ensures the inclusion of both Muslim and non-Muslim representatives in the Central Waqf Council and State Waqf Boards. It also establishes a central portal for the registration of waqf properties, detailing the procedure for mutations in accordance with revenue laws.
The bill, which was distributed to Lok Sabha members on Wednesday, proposes the creation of separate Boards of Auqaf for the Boharas and Aghakhanis, ensuring representation for Shia, Sunni, Bohra, Agakhani, and other backward classes among Muslim communities.
Minister Rijiju noted that the Waqf Act, initially enacted to improve the administration of auqaf, has been found lacking in effectiveness. Following recommendations from the High-Level Committee chaired by Justice (Retired) Rajinder Sachar and a Joint Parliamentary Committee on Waqf, amendments were made in 2013. However, further improvements are deemed necessary to address ongoing issues with the powers of State Waqf Boards, registration and survey of waqf properties, and the removal of encroachments.
Waqf properties, dedicated for religious or charitable purposes under Islamic law, comprise 8.7 lakh properties across 9.4 lakh acres in India, valued at an estimated 1.2 lakh crores. This makes Waqf Boards the third-largest landowner in India, after the armed forces and Indian Railways.
The new bill seeks to introduce Sections 3A, 3B, and 3C, which relate to the conditions of waqf, the filing of waqf details on a portal and database, and the prevention of wrongful declarations of waqf.
The amendments aim to enhance the administration and management of waqf properties and ensure broader representation within the Waqf Boards.
