Pune: 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 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.
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