Waqf Amendment Bill 2024: Important reforms to enhance accountability, says BJP leader
Shimla, September 09: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has expressed strong support for the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which aims to bring about significant reforms in the functioning of waqf boards across India. BJP state general secretary Bihari Lal Sharma has highlighted the bill’s primary focus on enhancing accountability and transparency in the management of waqf properties, an issue that has been a matter of concern in recent years due to alleged misuse and controversies.
Sharma asserted that the bill is an important step in the era of reform underway in the country. Sharma said, “We support the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024. This is an era of reform in India, where the winds of long-term change are blowing at a fast pace, giving us a chance to make up for missed opportunities in the past.” He said the bill seeks to amend the Waqf Act, 1995 and introduce significant measures to address concerns about the sweeping powers held by the waqf boards.
A central feature of the proposed amendments is a mandatory verification process for all property claims made by waqf boards. This verification is aimed at preventing properties from being wrongly classified as waqf without thorough scrutiny, which has been a major cause of disputes. Sharma said the move will boost people’s trust in the system and reduce chances of corruption.
“The introduction of mandatory verification for waqf boards will ensure that all property claims are properly scrutinised, thereby enhancing transparency and preventing potential misuse,” he said. The reform is expected to address concerns raised in the past few years about waqf boards declaring vast tracts of land as waqf properties, often leading to disputes with landowners and other stakeholders.
Apart from property verification, the bill also proposes amendments to Sections 9 and 14 of the Waqf Act, 1995, to promote gender diversity in the composition and functioning of waqf boards. By ensuring greater representation of women in decision-making roles, the government aims to make the management of waqf properties more inclusive and representative of all stakeholders.
“This amendment will ensure that women have a greater role in the management of waqf properties, promote inclusivity and address the interests of all sections of society,” Sharma said. The inclusion of women in key roles is being seen as a step towards modernising the governance of waqf boards, which have historically been male-dominated.
Another important amendment introduced by the bill is the amendment to the verification process for waqf properties. The government aims to reduce the number of disputes related to waqf properties by ensuring strict scrutiny and in some cases involving district magistrates in the verification process. This is expected to address long-standing issues related to misuse and mismanagement of waqf properties.
Sharma said, “Robust verification process will reduce disputes and help ensure that waqf properties are used for their intended purposes, be it for religious or charitable work.”
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, comes in response to growing concerns about the unchecked powers of waqf boards. In recent years, there have been several instances where waqf boards claimed extensive lands as waqf properties, leading to legal disputes and allegations of misuse. By introducing these reforms, the government seeks to restore balance, ensure proper management and prevent misuse of waqf properties.
Sharma reaffirmed the BJP’s support for the bill, stressing that the proposed amendments are crucial to address long-standing issues and create a more transparent and accountable system for managing waqf properties across the country. The bill is seen as part of a broader reform movement aimed at modernising governance structures and removing inefficiencies in various sectors.
With the introduction of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, the government hopes to address loopholes in the current system and promote better management of waqf properties, ensuring they are used for their intended purposes and benefit the communities they were created to serve.
Continuing the achievement of the journey of effectiveness and credibility of more than 10 years in the career of journalism, as a woman journalist, I am Serving as the founder, promoter and editor of DiaryTimes with the trust and support of all. My credible coverage may not have given a big shape to the numbers, but my journey presents articles that make you aware of the exact and meaningful situations of Himachal’s politics, ground issues related to the public, business, tourism and the difficult geographical conditions of the state and financial awareness. DiaryTimes, full of the experience of my precise editorial expertise, is awakening the flame of credible journalism among all of you, so that the eternal flame of meaningful change can be lit in the life of the people of the state and the atrocities being committed against the people can be brought to the fore, I am motivated for that. If even a small change comes with the power of my journalism and the whole world becomes a witness to that issues, then I will consider myself fortunate.
