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New Delhi: Friday is the last day to register Waqf properties on the UMEED portal, launched by the central government on June 6. So far, in four of the five states with the highest number of Waqf lands across the country, details of only about one-third to one-tenth of the properties have been uploaded.
Waqf boards and the mutawallis (caretakers) of the properties have been unable to upload the details on the UMEED portal. They are facing issues such as difficulty in finding centuries-old documents and papers related to the properties, as well as different units of measurement used for land in different states.
Waqf Properties Spread Across Several States
According to the Indian Express, there are an estimated 8.8 lakh Waqf properties spread across the country. With 1.4 lakh properties, Uttar Pradesh, with its separate Sunni and Shia boards, has the highest number of Waqf properties so far. After UP, West Bengal (80,480), Punjab (75,511), Tamil Nadu (66,092), and Karnataka (65,242) have the highest number of Waqf properties. Bihar is the only other state besides UP that has separate Sunni and Shia boards. All other states have integrated Waqf boards.
Many States Yet to Upload Even Half of Waqf Properties
The Indian Express reported that in Uttar Pradesh, about 35% of the properties had been registered on UMEED by Thursday. In West Bengal, where the Trinamool Congress government has faced protests from Muslim organizations for directing district magistrates to register Waqf properties, about 12% of the details had been uploaded by Monday night. In Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, the figure was 10%.
80% of Properties Registered in Punjab
In Punjab, about 80% of the properties had been registered by Wednesday evening. However, officials said the reason was that the Punjab Waqf Board was registering ‘Waqf Estates (which can include any number of properties)’ rather than individual Waqf properties, making the process much easier. The administrative setup in Punjab is also different as there are no Mutawallis (caretakers) for Waqf estates there, and the board manages them directly.
Friday is the last date.
If Waqf properties are not registered on UMEED by Friday, their respective Waqf Boards or Mutawallis can approach the Waqf Tribunals in their states and explain the reasons. The Tribunals have the power to grant extensions. However, Waqf Boards and Mutawallis fear that the Tribunals will be overwhelmed with requests at this rate.
Recently, Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju had stated that the deadline cannot be extended as the date is stipulated in the (Waqf) Act. Rijiju said, “Unless Parliament itself amends the provisions, I cannot change the Act.” On Wednesday, Samajwadi Party MP from Rampur, Mohibullah Nadvi, had stated in the Lok Sabha that the server was down and 70 percent of Waqf properties (in UP) had not been registered.
