75th meeting of Central Wakf Council

• 75th meeting of Central Wakf Council was recently held in New Delhi.
• The meeting was chaired by the Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs (Independent Charge) & Parliamentary Affairs Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.
• Central Government is making efforts to ensure that all the waqf boards and their records across the country are made digital.
• In the Budget 2017-18, Rs 3.30 crore has been allocated for computerisation of records of state waqf boards; Rs 9.70 crore have been given for strengthening of state waqf boards while Rs 3.18 crore have been allocated as grants-in-aid to Waqf.
• One-man “Board of Adjudication” at the Central level has been established under the chairmanship of retired Supreme Court justice to deal with complaints and disputes regarding waqf properties. Three-member tribunals are being established in the states.
• The Budget of Minority Affairs Ministry has been increased to Rs 4195.48 crore for 2017-18. This is Rs 368.23 crore more than 2016-17 Budget of Rs 3827.25 crore with an increase of about 9.6 per cent.

About Central Wakf Council:

• Central Wakf Council, India is an Indian statutory body established in 1964 by the Government of India under Wakf Act, 1954 (now a sub section the Wakf Act, 1995) for the purpose of advising it on matters pertaining to working of the State Wakf Boards and proper administration of the Wakfs in the country.
• Wakf is a permanent dedication of movable or immovable properties for religious, pious or charitable purposes as recognized by Muslim Law, given by philanthropists. The grant is known as mushrut-ul-khidmat, while a person making such dedication is known as Wakf.

The Council

• The Council is headed by a Chairperson, who is the Union Minister in charge of Wakfs and there are maximum 20 other members, appointed by Government of India as stipulated in the Wakf Act.
• Now the waqf Act,1995 has been amended by the Wakf (Amendment) Act,2013 to widen the fundamental function of council viz. it will be advising to State Govt. and State Waqf Boards also besides Central Govt.It has been given power to issue direction to the State Waqf Boards.

State Wakf Boards

• The State Wakf Boards are established by the State Governments in view of the provisions of section 13 & 14 of the Wakf Act, 1995.
• These work towards management, regulation and protect the Wakf properties by constituting District Wakf Committees, Mandal Wakf Committees and Committees for the individual Wakf Institutions.
• The wakf Boards shall be body corporate having perpetual succession and common seal with power to acquire and hold property. In case more than fifteen percent of total number of wakf property is shia wakf or income thereof is more than fifteen percent the Act envisages about separate Shia Wakf Board.

By: Vishal