Opposition members on Thursday sought extension of the tenure of the Joint Committee on the Waqf Amendment Bill, arguing that they needed more time to study the changes in the draft law. At the committee meeting, chairperson and BJP member Jagdambika Pal announced that Thursday’s meeting would be the last meeting of the panel and a draft report would be distributed to the members shortly. Following this, the opposition members protested and raised slogans and some of them called Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and sought his intervention in the matter.
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The Lok Sabha has asked the committee to submit its report on the last day of the first week of the winter session of Parliament starting from Monday. JPC meeting was held in Parliament House on Thursday. Speaking to the media, Pal said, “This is not the last meeting. Once the questions raised by the members are answered, their opinion will be taken on the proposed amendment and a consensus will be reached. Our report is ready and the committee will submit its report on time.”
The JPC committee is expected to present its report on the bill in 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 efforts of the JPC are part of a larger national initiative to reform the Waqf Act and ensure that Waqf properties are used for the broader interest of the community. Since August 22 this year, 25 meetings of the Joint Parliamentary Committee have been held on the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024. The JPC reviewed the work of six ministries and heard from 123 stakeholders, including representatives of six states, eight Waqf boards and four minority commissions.
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It is pertinent to note that the Waqf Act, 1995, which was enacted to regulate Waqf properties, has been facing allegations of mismanagement, corruption and encroachment for a long time. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 seeks to bring comprehensive reforms by introducing digitalisation, strict audit, transparency and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties. The JPC is holding a series of meetings to gather inputs from government officials, legal experts, Waqf board members and community representatives from various states and union territories to aim for the most comprehensive reform.
