The Narendra Modi-led NDA government is poised to amend the Waqf Act, significantly restricting the powers of the Waqf Board, sources informed India Today. On Friday, the cabinet approved a total of 40 amendments to the act.
According to sources, these amendments aim to limit the Waqf Board’s authority to designate any property as “Waqf property.” All claims made by the Waqf Board on properties will now require mandatory verification. “A mandatory verification process is proposed for properties claimed by the Waqf Board,” sources stated. The bill for these amendments is likely to be introduced in Parliament next week.
Waqf Boards oversee approximately 870,000 properties spanning around 940,000 acres. In 2013, the UPA government bolstered the authority of these boards through amendments to the original Waqf Act of 1995. This act was established to regulate ‘auqaf’ — assets donated and designated as waqf — by a wakif, the individual who dedicates property for purposes recognized by Muslim law as pious, religious, or charitable.
The proposed amendments also aim to enhance inclusivity by ensuring women’s representation on the Central Waqf Council and state boards. “The government had previously taken note of the extensive rights of state Waqf Boards to claim any property and the delays in surveying such properties in most states,” sources added.
To prevent misuse of properties, the government is considering involving district magistrates in monitoring Waqf properties.
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