Authorities set to convey invoice to curb waqf board powers on belongings | India Information

NEW DELHI: In a serious step, authorities needs to curb the “unfettered” powers of Waqf Boards to declare any property a ‘waqf asset’ and take management of it.
Sources stated the Cupboard on Friday night mentioned 40-odd amendments within the Wakf Act (often called Waqf Act earlier than 2013), together with ones to verify the jurisdiction, thought of arbitrary in lots of quarters, of Waqf Boards which now management belongings working into lakhs of crores of rupees throughout the nation.
Beneath the proposed amendments, Waqf Boards’ claims, which have been beforehand unrestricted, can be topic to necessary verification. An analogous mechanism of necessary verification has been proposed additionally for properties for which Waqf Boards and particular person homeowners have made claims and counter-claims.
Although an official briefing on Friday night on Cupboard choices didn’t point out this transfer, sources indicated {that a} Invoice to amend the Wakf Act is more likely to be launched in Parliament subsequent week.

Sources additionally stated that the 2 provisions of necessary verification of properties, which might verify arbitrary powers of Waqf Boards, are the most important amendments proposed to the Act. At current, these entities have powers to tag any property as waqf asset. Greater than 8.7 lakh properties throughout the nation, totalling round 9.4 lakh acres, are beneath the jurisdiction of Waqf Boards.
The necessity for such laws arose as there have been a number of representations from Muslim intellectuals, ladies and totally different sects comparable to Shia and Bohras, amongst others, searching for adjustments within the current regulation, sources stated, underlining that the preparation to convey amendments had began a lot earlier than the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Additionally they added that preliminary perusal of the legal guidelines throughout Islamic nations comparable to Oman, Saudi Arabia and others present that none of those nations have given such sweeping powers to 1 entity.
Extra sweeping powers have been conferred on Waqf Boards by bringing amendments to the unique Act through the UPA govt in 2013, which have been a serious bone of rivalry amongst waqf authorities, particular person property homeowners, and a number of other state entities, together with the Archaeological Survey of India.
Invoice additionally eyes adjustments in compositions of waqf boards
TOI has realized that the Invoice additionally proposes adjustments within the composition of Waqf Boards and in addition seeks to repeal some provisions of the present regulation.
The Wakf Act, 1995 was enacted to manage ‘auqaf’ (belongings donated and notified as waqf) by a wakif — the one that dedicates a property for any objective recognised by the Muslim regulation as pious, spiritual or charitable.
Earlier, govt had taken observe of sweeping powers of state Waqf Boards to stake declare on any property and in addition delay in conducting a survey of such property in most states. Authorities had additionally thought of the potential of involving district magistrates in monitoring of waqf properties to stop misuse of the belongings. Sources stated the failings within the enchantment course of have been additionally beneath scrutiny.