New Delhi: Muslim leaders and the All India Muslim Personal Law Board have criticised the Union Government for closing the UMEED Portal on 6 December. The portal recorded only 2,16,905 approved uploads. Official data shows India has 8,72,328 registered Waqf properties. The national upload rate stands at 25 percent. Almost three out of four registered Waqf assets remain missing from the new digital system.
The AIMPLB said the shutdown left large data gaps in Waqf-rich states. Madhya Pradesh uploaded 0 percent of properties. Rajasthan uploaded 0.86 percent. Kerala uploaded 1.20 percent. West Bengal uploaded 0.89 percent. Delhi uploaded 6.11 percent. Uttar Pradesh Sunni and Shia Boards uploaded 5.97 percent and 5.12 percent. Community leaders blame the low rates on widespread technical issues and delays in obtaining required documents.
AIMPLB spokesperson Dr SQR Ilyas said the Board will meet the Minority Affairs Minister on 11 December. He said the Board will approach the court again if there is no resolution. Dr Ilyas said the short deadline and portal glitches prevented uploads on a large scale. He said the government should have ensured that every already registered Waqf property was entered into the system. He said many mutawallis lack the technical skills to operate the portal without support.
Opposition MPs also criticised the shutdown. They said the decision harms poorer beneficiaries and ignores earlier assurances. A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court by a mutawalli from Madhya Pradesh. The petition challenges mandatory uploads under Section 3B of the Waqf Act. It argues the portal is structurally defective.
The Minority Affairs Ministry said the portal closed as mandated. It said penalties will not apply for three months. It also said no extension is possible under law.
