Any government property that is identified or declared as belonging to the Waqf, before or after the commencement of the Bill, will no longer be deemed as Waqf property, one of the provisions in the recently tabled Waqf Amendment Bill.
Clause 3C (1) in the Waqf Amendment Bill says, “Any Government property identified or declared as waqf property, before or after the commencement of this Act, shall not be deemed to be waqf property.”
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, is being debated in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, sparking a confrontation between the government and the Opposition.
The bill aims to enhance the management of Waqf properties by incorporating technology, addressing complexities, and ensuring greater transparency. While presenting the bill, Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju highlighted that the Joint Parliamentary Committee’s (JPC) consultation process was the most extensive ever undertaken by a parliamentary panel in India’s democratic history.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has allotted eight hours for discussion on the bill, with the possibility of extending it based on the House’s proceedings.
