The Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, on Sunday sought details from state governments about the accuracy of Waqf properties which, as per the Sachar committee, they had occupied in an unauthorised way, PTI reported citing sources.
The parliamentary committee also asked the states to furnish details of the properties that have been claimed by the Waqf board using Section 40 of the Waqf Act.
An amendment which came into effect during the Congress-led UPA regime’s tenure in 2013, Section 40 is one of the most heavily contested parts of the existing law because it gives Waqf boards the power to decide whether any property belongs to them or not.
Notably, the proposed Waqf (Amendment) Bill has drawn ire from the opposition as well several Muslim groups, who have alleged that the law is an attempt to interfere with religious matters.
The amendment bill, which was introduced by the Central government in the Lok Sabha in August, among other changes, has sought to curb the powers granted to the Waqf board under Section 40.
Sources said that the JPC has decided to get an update on the information given by the Sachar committee on the Waqf properties that are allegedly in the state governments or official agencies’ unauthorised occupation.
Various Waqf boards had informed the Sachar committee about the alleged unauthorised occupation during 2005-06.
Notably, the parliamentary panel has been collecting data about the same from states through the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs.
The JPC, chaired by BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, noted that there were 316 unauthorizedly occupied properties in Delhi, 60 in Rajasthan, 42 in Karnataka, 53 in Madhya Pradesh, 60 in Uttar Pradesh, and 53 in Odisha, as reported the Sachar committee in 2006-06, sources were cited as saying.
While the committee has sought updates from all these six states, it has also gotten further information from several other states, sources added.
“The chief ministers of the above states may kindly investigate in detail into the veracity of this information in the Sachar Committee Report… and update this Committee in detail,” a source said while citing the JPC’s communication.
Additionally, state governments have also been asked to share details of the cases where their authorities are engaged in a legal dispute with Waqf boards over ownership or possession of any property.
The panel also noted that the Sachar committee had said that its list was not exhaustive.
The Sachar Committee was constituted in 2005 under the UPA government to study the social, economic, and educational status of the Muslim community in India.
In 2006, it submitted its report underlining the poor status of Muslims on all these indicators and recommended a bunch of measures.
Notably, the Lok Sabha on Thursday extended the tenure of the JPC on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill till the last day of the Budget session of the Parliament next year.
This decision came after opposition leaders called for the extension of the panel’s tenure, saying that many states and stakeholders were yet to be heard.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, is aimed at amending the Waqf Act, 1995, which is a law governing Waqf boards to ensure more accountability and transparency in their functioning.
The bill seeks to bring sweeping reforms, introducing digitisation, stricter audits, transparency and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties.
(with PTI inputs)