The government is now going to take a big step regarding the Waqf Board. Under this, it wants to ban the rights to declare any property as ‘Waqf property’ and control it. Sources said that the cabinet discussed 40 changes in the Waqf Act on Friday evening. This also includes examining the jurisdiction of the Waqf Board, which controls property worth lakhs of crores of rupees across the country.
According to a report published in the Times of India, a major change has been proposed in the Waqf Act. According to this, if the Waqf Board claims any property, then its verification will be made mandatory. Also, in those properties on which there is a dispute between the Waqf Board and a common man, verification has been proposed to be made mandatory.
The move was not mentioned in the official briefing on cabinet decisions on Friday evening. However, according to the Times report, sources indicated that a bill to amend the Waqf Act could be introduced in Parliament next week.
Sources also said that two provisions for mandatory verification of properties, which will curb the arbitrary powers of the Wakf Board, are the major amendments proposed in the Act. Over 8.7 lakh properties across the country, totalling about 9.4 lakh acres, are under the jurisdiction of the Wakf Board.
According to the report, sources said that such a law was needed because Muslim intellectuals, women and people of various sects like Shia and Bohra have been demanding changes in the existing law many times. He emphasized that preparations for bringing the amendment had started much before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He also added that a look at the laws of Oman, Saudi Arabia and other Islamic countries shows that none of these countries have given such extensive powers to an institution.
The original Act was amended in 2013 during the UPA government to give the Waqf Board more sweeping powers, which has been a major cause of dispute between Waqf authorities, individual property owners and several state bodies, including the Archaeological Survey of India.
Tags: Modi government, Parliament News, Waqf Board
FIRST PUBLISHED : August 4, 2024, 09:34 IST
