NEW DELHI: The Welfare Ministry is taking steps to amend the Waaf Act in order to democratize and streamline the functioning of Waaf boards in the country. A nation-wide survey of the vast properties held by Waaf boards is also to be initiated.

The amendment likely to be brought forward in the coming monsoon session of Parliament envisages a larger number of elected members on the Waqf boards and also dilution of the powers of the Waqf commissioner. Consensus was reached on these two points recently at the conference of state ministers in charge of Wagf which was called to discuss amendments to Waaf law.

Inaugurating the conference the Union Welfare Minister Sitaram Kesri said that state Wagf boards owned immensely valuable properties a large number of which had fallen into disrepair because of lack of effective control and maintenance. Large-scale encroachment and charging of nominal rents were some of the problems.

The Waqf Board (Amendment and charging of nominal rents were some of the problems.

The Wagf Board (Amendment) of 1984 gave over-riding powers to the Waqf commissioner and also provided for a Waagf board with seven nominated and four elected members. Different sections of the Muslim community had objected to these two points; the proposed amendment seeks to resolve them

First by diluting the powers of the Wagf commissioner (redesigned chief executive officer) so that he functions under the board; and secondly by having six elected and five nominated members on the board.

Kesri told correspondents that the amendment would now be discussed with the Law Ministry. The main objective of amending the Act was to ensure social economic and educational uplift of Muslims he said.

There was intensive discussion on ways to improve Waqf law in order to streamline the functioning of Waqfs and Wagf boards. Consensus wreathed that Waafs should be exempted from the Rent Control Act and from land ceiling laws; that there should be an effective mechanism to evict unauthorized encroachers on Wagf property and state governments there should be an effective mechanism to evict unauthorized encroachers on Waqf property and state governments should provide financial assistance to erect boundary walls on graveyards.

Article extracted from this publication >> July 24, 1992