Parliamentary committee reviews Waqf (Amendment) bill 2024, gathers stakeholder feedback

The Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 meets to hear from waqf boards, tenant groups, and legal representatives, gathering insights for proposed reforms to improve transparency and accountability in waqf property management.

A Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 convened on Monday in the Parliament Annexe building, led by BJP MP Jagdambika Pal. The meeting is focused on gathering input and feedback on the proposed amendments to the Waqf Act, 1995, with invited stakeholders offering their views and concerns about the potential impact of these changes.

According to ANI, representatives from the Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, and Uttarakhand Waqf Boards have been called to provide oral evidence on the amendments. Several other groups are present as well, including Call for Justice, a group led by trustee Chander Wadhwa, the Waqf Tenant Welfare Association from Delhi, and Harbans Dunkall, President of the Residents Welfare Association from B.K. Dutt Colony in New Delhi. Their testimonies aim to represent a broad cross-section of interests regarding waqf property usage, oversight, and potential reforms.

The committee has scheduled an additional meeting for Tuesday, 29 October 2024, where representatives from the Ministry of Minority Affairs will share their insights and concerns on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024. This meeting will allow the committee to explore the government’s perspective and potential regulatory adjustments that would align with the intended reforms.

Last week’s committee meeting on 22 October reportedly saw tensions rise between members from opposing parties, specifically BJP MP Abhijit Gangopadhyay and TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee. The disagreement allegedly escalated to the point where Banerjee reportedly broke a glass bottle and, as claimed by committee members present, attempted to throw it at the committee chair, Jagdambika Pal. The altercation highlighted the deep divisions on the bill’s provisions and the strong sentiments among the MPs involved.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 seeks to introduce extensive reforms in how waqf properties are managed across India. Originally regulated by the Waqf Act of 1995, waqf properties have faced long-standing issues of mismanagement, corruption, and unauthorised occupancy. The proposed amendments aim to digitise waqf property records, introduce stringent auditing and transparency requirements, and establish legal frameworks to recover illegally occupied properties. These changes are intended to ensure that waqf properties benefit the communities they serve, bringing an improved level of transparency and accountability to waqf management.

The JPC’s ongoing meetings reflect a larger, national push to address these issues, with the committee engaging with officials, legal experts, Waqf Board members, and community representatives from various states and Union Territories. By gathering feedback from these diverse voices, the committee hopes to introduce a well-rounded reform that protects waqf properties and their intended purposes.

(With inputs from ANI)

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