Waqf Amendment Bill aims to bring transparency: Joint Parliamentary Committee chief

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party MP and Waqf Amendment Bill JPC (Joint Parliamentary Committee) Chairman, Jagdambika Pal, said that the proposed bill aims to bring transparency in Waqf administration and property, so that people can avail of its benefits.

Speaking to ANI, Pal said that they had received more than 1 crore emails regarding recommendations for the Waqf Amendment Bill.

"The Waqf Amendment Act 2024, which was referred to JPC in Parliament, gave a timeline of 3 months. That time itself, I was told that if a bill is referred to the JPC government, hope discussion happens between the stakeholders and members of the JPC and their opinions can be sought on the amendments. We have received more than 1 crore emails...Seven meetings have taken place, which last for 7-8 hours," he said.

Pal said that the JPC will go to Mumbai on September 26, Ahmedabad on September 27, Hyderabad on September 28, and Chennai on September 30 to hold meetings with the Waqt board, the minority commission, and other stakeholders.

“It is difficult to call everyone to Delhi for discussions, so JPC will go to Mumbai on September 26, Ahmedabad on September 27, Hyderabad on September 28, Chennai on September 30, and Bengaluru on October 1 to hold meetings with the Waqt board, the minority commission, and other stakeholders. We will call Kerala in Bengaluru,” he said. “Next month we will go to the states in the north.”

“We want to make a comprehensive report with the agreement of all so such a bill can be made through which benefits of Waqt properties can be availed by the education and health sectors. The Waqf Amendment Bill aims to bring transparency in waqf administration and property so that people can avail its benefits," the JPC Chairman added.

The ongoing efforts by the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) are part of a broader national initiative to reform the Waqf Act and ensure that waqf properties are used for the greater good of the community. The JPC is discussing key aspects of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024, including digitisation of records, stricter audits, better legal recourse for encroachments, and the decentralisation of waqf management.

Earlier, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, who presented the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 in Parliament, said on Monday that some people are running propaganda that the lands of Muslims are being snatched by the government and it should be stopped as many Muslims have supported the bill.

"The Parliamentary Committee has received a record number of recommendations for the Waqf Amendment Bill... The Waqf Amendment Bill has been referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for scrutiny. Some people are running propaganda that the lands of Muslims are being snatched by the government. This propaganda should be stopped... Many Muslim organisations have supported the bill," Rijiju said.

The Committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 will conduct informal discussions in five states with various stakeholders from September 26 to October 1.

These consultations aim to refine the proposed amendments to the Waqf Act, which governs the management of over 600,000 registered waqf properties across the country.

Notably, the Waqf Act, 1995, was created to regulate waqf properties, but it has long faced allegations of mismanagement, corruption, and encroachments. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, seeks to bring sweeping reforms, introducing digitisation, stricter audits, transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties.

These consultations will play a vital role in ensuring that the amendments to the Waqf Act are practical, effective, and aligned with the needs of the community.

The committee has to submit its report to the Lok Sabha by the last day of the first week of the next parliament session. (ANI)

Also Read: Joint Parliamentary Committee formed to look into Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 (sentinelassam.com)

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