National: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju introduced a motion in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, April 3, seeking consideration of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill of 2025 and the Musalmaan Wakf (Repeal) Bill. During his address, Rijiju highlighted recommendations from the Sachar Committee, which advocated for more inclusive central Waqf council and state Waqf boards.
Rijiju noted that there are currently 8.72 lakh Waqf properties, citing the Sachar Committee’s 2006 estimate of Rs 12,000 crore in earnings from 4.9 lakh properties. He also mentioned the committee’s recommendations for measures benefiting women and children. Furthermore, Rijiju referenced findings from a previous Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) led by Congress leader K Rahman Khan, which identified infrastructure issues with the Waqf board requiring attention.
The minister appealed to opposition parties to support the amended bill, emphasizing that recommendations from previous committees have been incorporated. Rijiju reported extensive stakeholder consultation, with 284 organizations providing input and over one crore people submitting memorandums with their opinions. He described the JPC’s work as “comprehensive” and “historic,” exceeding the scope of previous parliamentary committees.
The Waqf Amendment Bill aims to streamline the management of Waqf properties and address existing challenges. The bill was referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee on August 8, 2024, which received 572 amendments and accepted several key changes, including the proposal to retain the concept of “Waqf by User”.
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