Lok Sabha Question No. 3219 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-14
Subject: Encroachment of Waqf Board Properties
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT, DHANANJAY BHIMRAO MAHADIK, JAYAKUMAR JAYAVARDHAN, RAJEEV SHANKARRAO SATAV, SUPRIYA SADANAND SULE, P.R. SUNDARAM

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3219 TO BE ANSWERED ON 14.03.2018

## Encroachment of Waqf Board Properties

## 3219. DR. HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT:

SHRI DHANANJAY MAHADIK:

DR. J. JAYAVARDHAN:

SHRI SATAV RAJEEV:

SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE:

SHRI P.R. SUNDARAM:

Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether in the last three years more than two thousand criminal cases have been registered  in  connection  with encroachment on Waqf Board properties by the Waqf mafias;
- (b)  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  action    taken    or    to    be    taken    by    the Government in this regard;
- (c) whether the Government has prepared  any  roadmap  to  stop encroachment on waqf board properties;
- (d) if so, the action plan chalked out in this regard; and
- (e)  whether  the    Government    is  planning  to  digitalize  waqf  board  and  their records across the country and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS (SHRI MUKHTAR ABBAS NAQVI)

(a)  &  (b):  As  per  the  provision  of  section  32  of  the  Waqf  Act  1995  as  amended, general superintendence of all auqaf in a State is vested with the State Waqf Board (SWB) and the Waqf Board is empowered to manage the waqf properties and take legal action against unauthorized occupation and encroachment of such properties. Further, as per section 54 and 55 of the Waqf Act, SWB  may take action for the removal  of  encroachment  from  the  waqf  property.  Hence  the  details  regarding encroachment cases are to be  maintained by the SWBs.

(c) to (d): As per amended Waqf Act 1995, major provisions added therein  to give more  power  to  State/UT  Waqf  Boards  to  deal  with  encroachment  on  waqf properties inter alia include stringent definition of 'encroacher';  State Governments mandated  to  appoint  Survey  Commissioners  and  complete  the  survey  of  Waqf Properties in a time bound manner; rigorous imprisonment for  alienation of waqf properties  without  the  prior  approval  of  the  State/UT  Waqf  Boards;    offence  of alienation  of  Waqf  Property  to  be  cognizable  and  non-bailable;    three  member Tribunals with extended jurisdiction to deal with  disputes concerning the eviction of a tenant.

(e): Yes,  Madam.  Central  Government  launched  a  scheme  in  2009  namely 'Computerization of Records of State Waqf Boards' with a view to streamline record keeping, introduce transparency, and to computerize and digitize the records of waqf properties  of  the  State/UT  Waqf  Boards  (SWBs).  The  scheme  has  now  been modified and renamed as Qaumi Waqf Board Taraqqiati Scheme (QWBTS). Various new provisions have been added where financial assistance is provided to SWBs for GIS  Mapping  of  Waqf  Properties, setting up  of  Video Conferencing  Facility, maintenance  of  Centralized  Computing  Facility  (CCF)  and  ERP  Solution  for  better administration  of  SWBs. As  on  28.02.2018,  records  of  5,68,724  Immovable  Waqf Properties have been entered in WAMSI Registration Module and 2,80,754 records of Waqf Properties have been digitized.

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