Jagdambika Pal Leads Efforts to Reform Waqf Act with Nationwide Consultations
BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, who is also the Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024, has announced plans to bring transparency to Waqf administration and property management. The proposed bill aims to ensure that people can benefit from Waqf properties.
Speaking about the bill, Pal mentioned that they have received over 1 crore emails with recommendations. He said, “The Waqf Amendment Act 2024, which was referred to JPC in Parliament, gave a timeline of 3 months. We have received more than 1 crore emails…Seven meetings have taken place, which last for 7-8 hours.”
The JPC will travel to various cities to hold meetings with the Waqf board, the minority commission, and other stakeholders. The schedule includes:
- Mumbai on September 26
- Ahmedabad on September 27
- Hyderabad on September 28
- Chennai on September 30
- Bengaluru on October 1
Pal emphasized the importance of these consultations, stating, “We want to make a comprehensive report with the agreement of all so such a bill can be made through which benefits of Waqf properties can be availed by the education and health sectors.”
The JPC’s efforts are part of a broader national initiative to reform the Waqf Act and ensure that Waqf properties are used for the greater good of the community. The bill includes key aspects such as digitization of records, stricter audits, better legal recourse for encroachments, and decentralization of Waqf management.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, who presented the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 in Parliament, addressed concerns about the bill, stating, “Some people are running propaganda that the lands of Muslims are being snatched by the government. This propaganda should be stopped…Many Muslim organizations have supported the bill.”
The committee will conduct informal discussions in five states from September 26 to October 1 to refine the proposed amendments. These consultations aim to ensure that the amendments are practical, effective, and aligned with the needs of the community. The committee is expected to submit its report to the Lok Sabha by the last day of the first week of the next parliament session.
Doubts Revealed
Jagdambika Pal -: Jagdambika Pal is a Member of Parliament (MP) from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in India. He is leading the efforts to change the Waqf Act.
Waqf Act -: The Waqf Act is a law in India that deals with properties and assets donated for religious or charitable purposes, mainly by Muslims.
BJP -: BJP stands for Bharatiya Janata Party, which is one of the major political parties in India.
MP -: MP stands for Member of Parliament, a person elected to represent people in the Parliament of India.
Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) -: A Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) is a group of members from both houses of Parliament who come together to discuss and review specific issues or bills.
Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024 -: The Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024, is a proposed change to the existing Waqf Act to make it better and more transparent.
Transparency -: Transparency means making things clear and open so that everyone can see and understand what is happening.
1 crore -: 1 crore is a way to say 10 million in India. It is a large number used to count things like money or emails.
Stakeholders -: Stakeholders are people or groups who have an interest or concern in something, like a law or project.
Digitize records -: Digitize records means to convert paper records into digital format so they can be stored and accessed on computers.
Stricter audits -: Stricter audits mean more thorough checks to make sure everything is correct and in order, especially with money and records.
Legal recourse -: Legal recourse means having the ability to use the law to solve problems or disputes.
Encroachments -: Encroachments are when someone illegally takes over land or property that does not belong to them.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju -: Kiren Rijiju is a Union Minister in the Indian government, which means he is in charge of a specific department or ministry.
Muslim organizations -: Muslim organizations are groups that represent the interests and concerns of Muslim people in India.
