All Waqf Boards in states, Centre to have two women

Some of the ideas in the draft that seeks to amend the Wakf Act 1995 include having two women members on each state Waqf Board and Central Waqf Council, as well as mandatory registration of Waqf properties with the district collector to ensure their valuation, sources said on Sunday.

The proposed changes include permitting judicial scrutiny of Wakf properties to ascertain whether they are wakf assets or not.

The Union Cabinet approved a Wakf Act 1995 amendment bill on Friday. About 40 changes are proposed, including limiting waqf boards' ability to claim any property and broadening their composition.



Rejecting allegations that the government is trying to capture Waqf land, sources said the draft legislation is meant to ensure proper use of Waqf lands for poor Muslims, especially women and children. Land will remain with Waqf boards, but it will be properly registered and audited.

Currently, there are 8,72,292 registered Waqf properties spread across 8 lakh acres, but they only generate ₹200 cr in revenue, primarily due to 200 ndividuals controlling state waqf boards.

In addition to registering these properties with revenue officials, the government wants to create a structure for using the earnings to benefit mainly underprivileged Muslims.

It was also suggested that several of the bill's amendments are based on the recommendations of the Sachar Committee and the K Rahman Khan-led joint parliamentary committee, including the amendment allowing judicial review of waqf board decisions.


In July 2023, then-Union Minority Affairs Minister Smriti Zubin Irani met with the CEO and Chairperson of the State Waqf Boards, during which numerous top officials voiced several concerns, which this bill aims to fix, they added.

Meanwhile, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board stated that any amendment hat changes the character of waqf properties or makes it easier for anyone to seize them is unacceptable.

Restricting waqf board powers is also unacceptable, AIMPB said.