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Jagdambika Pal, Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on Waqf Amendment Bill 2024, said on Thursday that the committee's report is ready and they will submit it on time to the House.
A meeting of the JPC was held on Thursday at the Parliament House Annexe. Speaking to the media, Pal said, "This is not the last meeting. If the questions raised by the members are answered, then their opinions will be taken on the proposed amendment and a consensus will be formed. 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 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, 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)
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