ap-govt-to-form-new-waqf-board-cancels-previous-orders

The N Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP government in Andhra Pradesh has struck off earlier orders issued by the state Waqf board issued by the previous YSR Congress regime. 

 

It has said that the state government will constitute a new board soon. 

 

The move came against protests by Muslim outfits and Opposition parties over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

 

In an order, the state government said that the Waqf board, constituted by the previous YSR government, had been non-functional since March 2023. Moreover, it has no representations from scholars from Sunni and Shia communities and former parliamentarians. 

 

This was leading to stagnation in Waqf operations, the order said.

 

Junior advocates were chosen without proper criteria in the Bar Council category. This is leading to conflicts of interest involving senior advocates who filed cases, said the order.

 

Complaints were filed against the election of SK Khaja as a board member, particularly concerning his eligibility as ‘mutawalli’ (a person who manages and administers a waqf). 

 

Also, the election of chairman has not been held due to various court cases.

 

Following this, the state government has decided to constitute a new Waqf board soon.

 

The decision came at a time when Waqf boards across several states are facing allegations of encroachments and land claims, which is leading to a political controversy.

 

The central government introduced the Waqf bill in the Lok Sabha on August 8, saying the law was aimed to streamline the Waqf Board’s work and ensure the efficient management of Waqf properties.

 

It was immediately sent to a joint parliamentary committee after Opposition parties and Muslim organisations expressed concerns, claiming that the bill was a targeted measure against the community and an infringement on its constitutional rights.

 

The parliamentary panel’s meetings on the Waqf bill have become a virtual battleground between the Opposition and the ruling party members, who have been debating extensively on the changes to the Waqf bill proposed by the government.

 

On Thursday, the Lok Sabha adopted a resolution to extend the tenure of the Joint Committee on the Waqf bill till the last day of the Budget session of Parliament next year.