New Delhi [India], December 24: The Joint Committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill will convene on December 26 and 27 to record oral evidence from state representatives as part of its review of the proposed legislation.
On December 26, the Committee will hear from representatives of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, and on December 27, it will listen to officials from Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, and Delhi.
Earlier this week, the JPC met Muslim representatives from Lucknow and Rajasthan to discuss proposed amendments to the bill. Jagdambika Pal, Chairman of the Joint Committee, told, “Former Vice-Chancellor of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Language University, Lucknow, and former Chairman of Rajasthan Waqf Board presented their proposed amendments. We had a clause-by-clause discussion, and MPs raised questions.”
The committee also met with Syed Abubakar Naqvi, former Chairman of the Rajasthan Waqf Board, and Prof. Mahrukh Mirza, former Vice Chancellor of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Language University.
On Wednesday, the JPC held a meeting with the All India Shia Personal Law Board to gather their views on the bill.
The Lok Sabha recently approved a motion to extend the JPC’s tenure for the Waqf (Amendment) Bill and set a deadline for the report’s presentation by the end of the 2025 Budget Session.
Earlier this month, Jagdambika Pal noted that the committee had already held 27 meetings in Delhi before its tenure was extended, involving discussions with various stakeholders and ministries of the Government of India.
The Waqf Act of 1995, intended to regulate waqf properties, has faced criticism for mismanagement, corruption, and encroachments. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, seeks to address these issues by introducing reforms such as digitisation, enhanced audits, increased transparency, and legal mechanisms to recover illegally occupied properties.
The JPC is conducting thorough consultations with government officials, legal experts, Waqf Board members, and community representatives from different states and Union Territories to ensure comprehensive reform of the legislation.