The second Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting on the waqf (Amendment) bill began on Friday at the Parliament House Annexe. It is headed by MP Jagadambika Pal, chairperson of the committee. The Committee includes 31 members of which 21 are from the Lok Sabha and 10 are from the Rajya Sabha.
The representatives of All India Sunni Jamiyatul Ulama of Mumbai, the Delhi-based Indian Muslims for Civil Rights, the Sunni Central Waqf Board from Uttar Pradesh, and the Rajasthan Board of Muslim Waqf were called to the meeting. The government aims to streamline the functioning of Waqf properties and to ensure proper governance through amendments.
The JPC Chairman stated that the decision to refer the bill to the JPC was taken in the first meeting and decided to call multiple waqf boards of the country along with the Minority Affairs Ministry. However, an objection was raised by opposition MPs in the first meeting earlier this month, making the Union minority affairs ministry a representative in the proposed bill.
The Bill seeks to reform the registration process for Waqf properties through a centralized portal. It further says that the District Collector should decide whether a piece of land is government land or Waqf property. The bill proposes the creation of a Central Waqf Council, which would sit alongside state Waqf Boards and include representatives from Muslim Women and non-Muslim communities.
Joint Parliamentary Committee invites suggestions on Waqf Amendment Bill
The JPC has invited views and suggestions from the public, NGOs, experts, stakeholders, and institutions through a press release by the Lok Sabha Secretariat. The people who want to send suggestions can send copies in either English or Hindi to the Joint Secretary of the Lok Sabha Secretariat, Room No. 440, Parliament House Annexe, New Delhi, or email them to jpcwaqflss@sansad.nic.in. The suggestions are to be given in the next 15 days.
The sent suggestion would be part of the record of the committee and would be kept confidential. The people who want to appear before the committee, besides submitting their suggestions have to be mentioned. However, the committee will take the final decision.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was introduced during the budget session in Loksabha. It was referred to the Joint Committee of Parliament to examine the bill, formed under the Loksabha MP Jagdambika Pal. The committee will report on the Bill by the last day of the first week of the Winter Session of Parliament.
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Source: The Financial Express
