New Delhi. The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 will hold informal discussions in five states between September 26 and October 1. During this, various stakeholders will be involved in an effort to simplify the proposed changes in the Waqf Act.
The Act regulates the management of registered Waqf properties across the country.
The first meeting will be held in Mumbai on September 26, which will include representatives from the Maharashtra government, Ministry of Minority Affairs and Maharashtra Waqf Board. This initial meeting will pave the way for upcoming consultations by focusing on important issues such as transparency, efficiency and empowerment in the management of Waqf properties.
The next day, on September 27, the Joint Parliamentary Committee will hold deliberations in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. It will include representatives from the Gujarat government, Gujarat Waqf Board and other concerned parties.
Apart from government officials, legal professionals from the Bar Council, lawyers associations and mutawalli associations will share their views on how the proposed reforms could impact the management of waqf properties in the state. The JPC will then travel to Hyderabad on September 28, where several major waqf properties in India are located.
The discussions in Hyderabad will also be attended by representatives from the Waqf Boards of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana as well as the State Minority Commissions of the two states. In addition, the Chhattisgarh Waqf Board will also participate in these discussions. After which, the JPC will travel to Chennai, Tamil Nadu for consultations on September 30 and then to Bengaluru, Karnataka for discussions on October 1.
These meetings will examine key aspects of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, including digitisation of records, more stringent auditing processes, enhanced legal measures to deal with encroachments, and decentralisation of waqf management.
The JPC’s nationwide consultation aims to gather feedback from government officials, legal experts, Wakf Board members and community representatives from five states and Union Territories to ensure a comprehensive approach to reform the Wakf Act.
