Lok Sabha extends JPC tenure for Waqf (Amendment) Bill Report to next Parliament session

New Delhi [India], December 5 (ANI): The Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Jagdambika Pal, said that representatives from the Ministry of Minority Affairs participated in the first meeting held on Thursday after the extension of its committee's tenure and answered questions from JPC members.
Pal explained that the tenure of the committee has been extended till the next Parliament session and the meeting that was held today focused on addressing disputes over properties between Waqf and state governments adding that the next meeting of the committee will be held on December 11 and 12.
"The tenure of the committee has been extended till the next Parliament Session. After the extension of the tenure of JPC, today was the first meeting. Representatives from the Ministry of Minority Affairs took part in the meeting today and JPC members asked them a few questions...Before this in 7 meetings, the Ministry of Minority Affairs took part. In today's meeting the matter regarding properties where there is a dispute between Waqf and states came up...The next meeting will be on December 11-12," the JPC Chairman said.
Pal informed that a total of 27 meetings were held in Delhi before the extension of the committee's tenure. Today's meeting marked the 28th session. In these meetings, discussions were held with several stakeholders and ministries of the Government of India.
"27 meetings have already taken place in Delhi... today's meeting was the 28th. In that 27th meeting, we called the Waqf Boards of all the states of the country, the minority commission, the state government officials, and six ministries of the Government of India including the Ministry of Urban Development, Railways, etc. We also called various stakeholders in the meeting," he said.
The JPC Chairman said that discussions with maximum stakeholders and ministries aim to prepare a comprehensive report on the matter.
"When the government referred this bill to the JPC, it also wanted that there should be discussion with maximum stakeholders and a comprehensive report should be prepared," he said.
Since August 22, the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024, has held several meetings, reviewing the work of six ministries and around 195 organisations. Of these, 146 organisations were heard across the country, and the secretariat received nearly 95 lakh suggestions related to the Waqf Bill.
It is worth noting that the Waqf Act of 1995, which was created to regulate waqf properties, has long faced allegations of mismanagement, corruption and encroachments.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 seeks to bring sweeping reforms, introducing digitisation, stricter audits, transparency and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties.
The JPC is holding a series of meetings to gather input from government officials, legal experts, Waqf Board members and community representatives from different states and Union Territories, aiming for the most comprehensive reform possible. (ANI)