NEW DELHI, Dec 5:
The Parliamentary Panel on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill has reached out to State Governments for details regarding the disputed Waqf properties within their jurisdictions. This information was shared by Jagdambika Pal, the Chairman of the Joint Committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, during a panel meeting on Thursday.
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This meeting marked the first gathering since the Panel’s tenure was extended until the final week of the upcoming Budget Session. Pal indicated that the committee may summon Chief Secretaries of State Governments if necessary. On Thursday, officials from the Ministry of Minority Affairs and the Ministry of Law and Justice presented responses to various inquiries from the panel members. “The responses amount to 887 pages and will be meticulously reviewed in the coming days,” Pal stated, noting that further meetings are scheduled for December 11 and 12.
A panel member criticized the submitted responses from the ministries as poorly drafted, expressing that the opposition would seek clarifications in the coming days. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill has drawn criticism from opposition parties and Muslim organizations for its perceived encroachments into religious affairs.
Pal mentioned that the Parliamentary panel plans to obtain an update regarding the issues raised by the Sachar Committee, specifically concerning Waqf properties reportedly under unauthorized occupation by State Governments or their agencies. During 2005-06, several state Waqf boards had informed the Sachar Committee about alleged unauthorized occupations.
The committee was informed that 316 such disputed properties exist in Delhi, 60 in Rajasthan, and 42 in Karnataka, as reported in 2005-06. Additionally, there are 53 disputed properties in Madhya Pradesh, 60 in Uttar Pradesh, and 53 in Odisha. The States have also been requested to provide details on any cases involving legal disputes between their agencies and Waqf boards concerning the ownership or possession of properties, noting that the Sachar Committee emphasized that its list was not comprehensive. (PTI)
