Ruckus in Parliament Likely as JPC Report on Waqf (Amendment) Bill Set to be presented in Lok Sabha

The report of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 will be presented in the Lok Sabha on Monday i.e. 3 February. 

According to the Lok Sabha agenda, JPC Chairman Jagdambika Pal along with BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal will present the report of the Joint Committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in Hindi and English in the Lok Sabha on February 3. He will also table the record of evidence given before the Joint Committee on the floor of the House.

Earlier, the JPC report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 was presented before Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on 30 January 2025. JPC Chairman Jagdambika Pal reached Parliament and met the Lok Sabha Speaker and submitted the final report of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf Bill to him.

On January 29, the JPC approved the amended bill and its draft report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. However, opposition MPs submitted their dissent notes on the JPC report.

According to the information, the JPC has approved the new draft of the Waqf Bill 1995 with 25 amendments in 14 clauses and sections. JPC Chairman Jagdambika Pal said in a conversation with the media that 'We have adopted the draft report of the Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf Bill and the amended bill.'

Benefits of Waqf should go to the marginalized people: Pal

JPC Chairman Jagdambika Pal said that "For the first time we have included a clause which states that the benefits of Waqf should go to the marginalized people, the poor, women and orphans. We had 44 clauses of the bill before us, out of which amendments were proposed by the JPC members in 14. We conducted a vote and then adopted these amendments by a majority."

The proceedings of the JPC were criticized by opposition MPs and leaders. The Waqf Act 1995 was made to regulate Waqf properties. This law has long been criticized for issues such as mismanagement of Waqf properties, corruption and encroachment in the name of Waqf property.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 aims to address these challenges through legal reforms to free the properties illegally occupied by the Waqf Board, digitization, audit and transparency. The budget session of Parliament started on 31 January and will run till 4 April.

Prakash Kumar Pandey