View: “A move to bring transparency”

By Priyanka Saurabh

The Waqf Amendment Bill 2024, recently passed in the Lok Sabha, is expected to increase transparency in the management of Waqf properties and provide relief to common citizens, especially tenants who have been living in these properties for years or are facing legal disputes related to them.

In India, Waqf properties are managed under the Waqf Act 1995. Waqf boards formed under this law were given enormous powers to control the properties under their control. However, this management has led to many controversies due to lack of transparency and arbitrary decisions. The legal powers possessed by Waqf boards have raised questions about their functioning in many places. In many cases, Waqf board officials have reportedly taken decisions such as arbitrarily leasing out properties, evicting possession, and selling properties without due process.

Thousands of tenants have been living in Waqf properties for decades. But many times, Waqf boards did not provide legal protection to old tenants but tried to evict them from the properties. In such cases, many families had to engage in legal battles, and in some cases, forced evictions were also seen. There have been complaints of large-scale corruption in the purchase, sale, and........

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