GUWAHATI: Member of Parliament (MP) Jagatambika Pal chaired a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) meeting on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill on Saturday, November 9.
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Guwahati was selected to mark the beginning of the JPC’s five-city study tour, which includes visits to other cities such as Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Patna, and Lucknow from November 9 to November 14, to gather insights on the proposed bill.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Pal highlighted the participation of key stakeholders, including representatives from the Assam state government, the state Waqf board, the minority commission, and legal experts from the High Court. "We will discuss in detail with the officials of North East, the boards and the stakeholders regarding our amendment bill,” he stated.
A delegation of Assam State Jamiat Ulama met the committee. The organisation opposed the bill in total and demanded the Waqf Act of 1995 be made strong and provision of evictions should be included in it. Besides, they also reiterated that waqf income of waqf property should be used for Muslim community.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was referred to the JPC by the Parliament Speaker at the government’s request, emphasising the importance of comprehensive consultation. Pal noted that this platform is inclusive, allowing MPs from across party lines to contribute.
Overall, the JPC aims to deliver its report to Parliament by the first week of the Winter Session, set to run from November 25 to December 20.