The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 held a meeting here on Thursday to record oral evidence from state representatives as part of its deliberations on the proposed legislation.
Talking to mediapersons after its conclusion, JPC chairman and BJP MP Jagdambika Pal said that the panel had a meeting with the principal secretaries and revenue secretaries of the Department of minority affairs of Karnataka, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh – to know the registered and unregistered properties and the status of the Waqf properties there.
“We have given some extra time to Madhya Pradesh… We are yet to receive any reply from Karnataka and Rajasthan – and then we will decide on them after that,” he said.
Earlier in a post on X, Pal said, “Chaired the meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee constituted on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in New Delhi today. Representatives of the Karnataka state government presented oral evidence, views and suggestions in the meeting.”
On Friday, the panel will have another meeting where it will hear state representatives of UP, Odisha and Delhi.
On December 19, the JPC met Muslim representatives from Lucknow and Rajasthan in its meeting.
Talking to a news agency after the meeting, the JPC chairman said, “Former VC of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Language University, Lucknow and former chairman of Rajasthan Waqf Board came with their proposed amendments. There was a clause-by-clause discussion on it. MPs also posed questions to them.”
The committee included Syed Abubakar Naqvi, the former Chairman and State Minister of the Waqf Board in Rajasthan, and Prof. Mahrukh Mirza, the former Vice Chancellor of Khwaja Chishti Moinuddin Language University, Lucknow.
Earlier, on December 18, the committee held a meeting with the All India Shia Personal Law Board members. It heard the views of the board on the Bill.
Recently, the Lok Sabha approved a motion to extend the tenure of the JPC on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill and mandated the presentation of their report by the end of the 2025 Budget Session.
On December 5, Jagdambika Pal noted that the committee had held 27 meetings in Delhi before the extension of its tenure. These meetings included discussions with multiple stakeholders and various ministries of the Government of India.
The JPC comprises 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha, including 13 Opposition members (nine from the Lower House and four from the Upper House).
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, aims to bring significant reforms, including digitisation of records, stricter audits, increased transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied Waqf properties. The Bill, aimed at reforming the management and regulation of Waqf properties across the country, has been deferred due to heated debates and disruptions within the JPC between ruling BJP members and Opposition leaders.
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.