The Maharashtra government has announced the allocation of Rs 10 crore to the state’s Waqf board for enhancing its functioning and infrastructure.
The Department of Minorities issued a Government Resolution (GR) in this regard. A grant of Rs 2 crore has already been disbursed.
The move comes amid protests by Muslim outfits and Opposition parties over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
Since its introduction in August this year, the Waqf bill has been in the eye of a storm with the Opposition and government trading barbs against each other. The bill proposes significant restructuring to the management of Waqf properties, including renaming the Waqf Act, 1995as the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act.
Speaking on the allocation to the Maharashtra Waqf Board, the Bharatiya Janata Party called it an administrative fault.
“There is the caretaker government now in Maharashtra…it can’t decide anything.. the decision to grant money to Waqf seems to have happened at the administrative level,” said BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhye.
During the campaigning for the recently concluded assembly polls, the BJP raised concerns regarding the management of the Waqf land.
The issue has been rocking the Parliament as well where a resolution to extend the tenure of the Joint Committee was adopted on Thursday. The tenure of the committee has been extended till the last day of the Budget session of Parliament next year. The resolution was moved in the Lower House by Committee Chairman and BJP leader Jagdambika Pal.
The extension of the committee’s term was welcomed by Trinamool Congress saying it would enable many more stakeholders, including states, to place their views.
TMC MP and committee member Kalyan Banerjee said: Yesterday (Wednesday), in the JPC (joint parliamentary committee) meeting, a resolution was moved for extension and it had to be placed before the Lok Sabha. Accordingly, the honourable chairman moved that motion for an extension of time for submission of the report and that time has been extended till the last day of the Budget Session. Now, stakeholders will get the chance to place their views before the JPC and we will also get the chance to examine them.”
The Waqf bill, introduced on August 8 was immediately sent to a joint parliamentary committee after Opposition parties and Muslim organisations raised concerns, claiming that the bill was a targeted measure towards the community.
