Lok Sabha Question No. 274 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-12
Subject: Illegal Encroachment of Wakf Land
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: MAULANA BADRUDDIN AJMAL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.274 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.12.2018

## Illegal Encroachment of Wakf Land

## 274. SHRI  BADRUDDIN AJMAL:

Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) the quantum of wakf land which has been illegally encroached by corporate houses/public till date in the country, the State-wise details thereof;
- (b) whether any action has been taken to make the waqf land free from encroachers during the last three years;
- (c) if so, the details thereof, State-wise, and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (d) whether Government has any plan to use the wakf land for the welfare of the community; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

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

- (a) : As per Section 32 of the Waqf Act, 1995 as amended, the general superintendence of auqaf in a State is vested with the State Waqf Board (SWB) and it is the duty of the concerned SWB to ensure that Waqf properties are properly maintained, controlled and administered.  As per the available information with Central Waqf Council (CWC) received from various State Waqf Boards, State wise available data on number of Waqf Properties are facing encroachment is given at Annexure-I.
- (b) & (c):  As  per  the  provision  of  Section  54,  the  Chief  Executive  Officer of  the Waqf  Board  is empowered to remove the encroachment from the Waqf property. Such removal is normally carried out with the help of State Government machinery. CWC also takes up the issue with the concerned Waqf Board with a view to expedite the process of disposal of litigation and retrieval  of  the  waqf  properties  facing  encroachment.  In  addition  CWC  also  takes  up complaints received in respect of encroachment, unauthorised occupation and alienation of the Waqf properties with the concerned Waqf Boards and State Governments etc.
- (d) &  (e):  The  Government  of  India  has  established  'National  Waqf  Development  Corporation Limited (NAWADCO)', under the aegis of Ministry of Minority Affairs. NAWADCO provides an opportunity to waqf institutions or to the state waqf boards for commercial development of

waqf properties to enhance their income which can be utilised for the welfare of the Muslim community. Ministry of Minority Affairs is also implementing a scheme named Pradhan Mantri Jan  Vikas  Karyakram  (PMJVK)  for  bringing  identified  minority  concentration  area  at  par  to national average in respect of socio-economic and basic amenities indicators on the basis of 2011  census  by  providing  infrastructure  for  education,  skill,  health  etc.  Under  this  scheme based on local need, the project proposed on land of waqf or similar land of other notified minority communities offered by respective authority/Board, small minority communities free of  any  lease  amount/nominal  amount  for  a  particular  period  on  lease  basis  would  also  be considered.  Besides  that,  Ministry  also  implements  Shahari  Waqf  Sampatti  Vikas  Yojana through Central  Waqf  Council under which interest free loans is provided to  Waqf Institution/State  Waqf  Boards  for  development  of  waqf  land  parcels  for  the  welfare  of  the community.

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Annexure referred to in reply to Part (a) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No.274 due for  answer  on  12/12/2018  raised  by  SHRI    BADRUDDIN  AJMAL  regarding  'Illegal Encroachment of Wakf Land'

## State wise available data on number of Waqf Properties with  Encroachment

|   S.No. | Name of Waqf Board                     | Number of Waqf Properties encroached by Private/Public   |
|---------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|
|       1 | Punjab Waqf Board                      | 5,610                                                    |
|       2 | Madhya Pradesh Waqf Board              | 3,240                                                    |
|       3 | Board of Waqfs, West Bengal            | 3,082                                                    |
|       4 | Tamil Nadu State Waqf Board            | 1,335                                                    |
|       5 | Karnataka State Waqf Board             | 862                                                      |
|       6 | Haryana Waqf Board                     | 754                                                      |
|       7 | Himachal Pradesh Waqf Board            | 503                                                      |
|       8 | Delhi Waqf Board                       | 373                                                      |
|       9 | Chhatisgarh State Waqf Board           | 200                                                      |
|      10 | Assam Board of Waqfs                   | 191                                                      |
|      11 | Bihar State Sunni Waqf Board           | 181                                                      |
|      12 | Rajasthan Board of Muslim Waqf         | 164                                                      |
|      13 | Manipur State Waqf Board               | 137                                                      |
|      14 | Maharashtra State Waqf Board           | 81                                                       |
|      15 | Bihar State Shia Waqf Board            | 58                                                       |
|      16 | Kerala State Waqf Board                | 29                                                       |
|      17 | Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board | 12                                                       |
|      18 | Tripura Board of Waqf                  | 10                                                       |
|      19 | Odisha Board of Waqfs                  | 7                                                        |
|      20 | Chandigarh Waqf Board                  | 6                                                        |
|      21 | Puducherry Waqf Board                  | 5                                                        |
|      22 | Jharkhand Waqf Board                   | 2                                                        |
|      23 | Andaman and Nicobar Waqf Boards        | 2                                                        |
|      24 | Uttarakhand Waqf Board                 | 119                                                      |