Ahead of Parliament session, Waqf JPC chairman Jagdambika Pal meets Muslim delegations

NEW DELHI: Jagdambika Pal, Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on Waqf Amendment Bill 2024, on Saturday met Muslim delegations ahead of the winter session of the Parliament.

JPC Chairman Jagdambika Pal told ANI that the delegation issued a memorandum regarding the proposed Amendment Bill of the Waqf Board “Different delegations from Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, some professors of Delhi University, Islamic scholars, former Vice Chancellor of Lucknow and others from the minority community had come and issued a memorandum regarding the proposed Amendment Bill of Waqf Board,” Jagdambika Pal said.

He also said that the delegations affirmed their support for the Bill and cited the example of Triple Talaq Jagdambika Pal further added, “They said that they support this bill because as they got freedom from Triple Talaq, similarly if this bill is passed, then the women and children will benefit from this…”

#WATCH | Delhi: On meeting 25 Muslim delegations ahead of the Parliament session, JPC Chairman Jagdambika Pal says “Different delegations from Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, some professors of Delhi University, Islamic scholars, former Vice Chancellor of Lucknow and… pic.twitter.com/17QdOVY4FI

— ANI (@ANI) November 23, 2024

The JPC committee is expected to present its report on the bill to the House by the end of the first week of the Winter Session of Parliament, which will run from November 25 to December 20.

The JPC’s efforts are part of a larger national initiative to reform the Waqf Act and ensure that waqf properties are used for the greater good of the community.

Since August 22 of this year, the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024, has held 25 meetings. The JPC reviewed the work of six ministries and heard from 123 stakeholders, including representatives from six states, eight Waqf boards, and four minority commissions.

It is pertinent to note 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)