Government to introduce Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, in the Lok Sabha.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, proposed amendments to the Waqf Act, 1995.
The bill will be introduced in the Lok Sabha by Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. It has proposed 40 amendments.
These amendments aim to diminish the ‘arbitrary’ authority of the Waqf Boards.
The existing Waqf Act allows the boards to claim any property as Waqf without mandatory verification.
It has also involved ‘district collector’ in the Act and has given the collector powers to resolve disputes related to the Waqf Act between the Waqf Board and the government.
The word ‘Waqf’ will be replaced with ‘Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development’ in the 1995 act.
The bill also proposed the establishment of a separate Board of Auqaf for the Bohras and Aghakhanis.
The bill will also streamline the process of registration of Waqfs through a central portal and database.
