New Delhi. Modi government can take another big decision soon. This big decision will be to tighten the reins on Wakf Boards. According to the news of English newspaper The Times of India, in the meeting of Modi cabinet last Friday, the rights given to Wakf Board and more than 40 amendments in them were discussed. According to the news, Modi government now wants to tighten the reins on the right of Wakf Boards, under which they declare any property as their own. To get back the property which is declared as theirs by Wakf Board, the owner of the land has to run from pillar to post in the court.
The Waqf Board was given the authority to declare any property as its own in 2013 during the then UPA government. If the Waqf Board declares any property as its own, then the final claim to get it released can also be made with the Board. The Modi government is going to move in the direction of reducing this power of the Waqf Board. The newspaper has reported that the government is considering making verification of the Waqf Board’s claim regarding any land mandatory. This verification will also be done for those properties about which there is a dispute between the Waqf Board and the land owners. An amendment bill can be introduced in Parliament next week in this regard. If the bill is passed by the Parliament, the power of the Waqf Board will be reduced and they will not be able to occupy any land by claiming it as their own.
Waqf boards have about 9 lakh properties across the country. Waqf boards have these properties in more than 9 lakh acres of area. After railways and army, Waqf boards have the maximum land. In a southern state, Waqf boards had declared an entire village as theirs. There was a huge controversy over this. At other places also, there have been disputes between property owners and Waqf boards. For a long time, people were demanding from Modi government that Waqf boards should be dissolved.
