The Joint Committee of Parliament scrutinising the Waqf (Amendment) Bill adopted its draft report and the amended version of the proposed law with a majority vote, JPC chairperson Jagdambika Pal said, reported PTI.
Members of Parliament have been given time till 4 pm to submit their dissent.
Opposition MPs, some of whom have given their dissent, slammed the exercise as undemocratic, claiming that they were given little time to study the final report and frame their dissent notes.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant said all opposition members will give their dissent.
Pal is likely to submit the amended version of the proposed law to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on August 8, 2024, following its introduction in the Lok Sabha by Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.
The bill aims to amend the Waqf Act, 1995, to address issues and challenges in regulating and managing Waqf properties.
What Is Waqf and Waqf Act, of 1995
Waqf is a permanent dedication of movable or immovable properties for religious, pious or charitable purposes as recognised by Muslim Law. The assets donated and notified as waqf are known as 'Auqaf', while a person making the dedication is known as 'Wakif'.
The Waqf Act, of 1995 was enacted to regulate 'auqaf' by a wakif. Later, it was amended in 2013 by the UPA government.
The Central Waqf Council is a statutory body under the administrative control of the Ministry of Minority Affairs and was set up in 1964 as per the provision given in the Waqf Act, 1954 as an Advisory Body to the Central Government on matters concerning the working of the Waqf Boards and the due administration of Auqaf.
The Waqf Act, 1954 was subsequently repealed and after new Waqf Act was passed in 1995 which gave more powers to Waqf Boards.
