Lok Sabha Question No. 3637 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-24
Subject: Rent of Waqf Properties
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: Sajda Ahmed

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3637

ANSWERED ON 24.03.2022

## RENT OF WAQF PROPERTIES

## 3637. SHRIMATI SAJDA AHMED:

Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken note that Waqf Properties fetch less rent than the market rent;
- (b) if so, the measures taken by the Government to regularise the rent of Waqf Properties as per Waqf Properties Lease Rules, 2014 as amended in 2020; and
- (c) the steps taken by the Government in order to bring down the litigations of the Waqf Properties?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

## (SHRI MUKHTAR ABBAS NAQVI)

(a)  &  (b)  The  government  in  order to  rationalize  and  improve the  income  from  the waqf  properties  has brought in changes through amendments in the The Waqf Act, 1995 in the administration of waqfs with a view to enhance the income of Waqf Institutions by making best of use of waqf properties in a commercial way.  Further,  under  section  56  of  Waqf  Act,  1995  as  amended  the  Central  Government  has  been empowered to make Waqf Properties Lease Rule. Accordingly the Waqf Properties Lease Rules, 2014 was made and in force since June 2014 in order to regularize the rent of the waqf properties and all the State Waqf Boards (SWBs) have been accordingly informed too. However, as per provisions of Section 32 of the Waqf Act 1995 as amended, general superintendence of all waqf properties in a State is vested with the State Waqf Board (SWB) and the Waqf Board is empowered to manage the waqf property.

(c)  This Ministry is implementing two schemes namely i) Qaumi Waqf Board Taraqqiati Scheme (QWBTS) and  ii)  Shahari  Waqf  Sampatti  Vikas  Yojana  (SWSVY)  through  Central  Waqf  Council  (CWC).  Under QWBTS financial assistance is provided to SWBs for deployment of manpower viz. Assistant Programmer, GIS-Digitization  supervisor,  Mutation  Assistants,  Mutawalli  Change  Support  Assistant,  Mutawalli  Return Support Assistant, Leasing Support Assistant, Litigation Tracking Support Assistant, Zonal Waqf Officers, Survey  Assistant  and  Data  Entry  Operator,  setting  up  of  Video  Conferencing  Facility,  maintenance  of Centralized Computing Facility (CCF) & E-office Solution for better administration of SWBs.  A dedicated online  portal  called  WAMSI  (Waqf  Assets  Management  System  of  India)  has  also  developed  by  this Ministry for management/tracking of litigation pertaining to waqfs, computerization & digitization of records of  waqf  properties,  Geographic  Information  System  (GIS)  Mapping  of  waqf  properties  to  prevent encroachment. So far records of 7,94,875 (Seven Lakh Ninety Four Thousand Eight Hundred and Seventy Five) immovable waqf properties have been entered in WAMSI Registration Module and GIS Mapping of 2,44,006  (Two  Lakh  Forty  Four  Thousand  and  Six)  waqf  properties  have  been  done.  For  the  first  time 3,32,344 (Three Lakh Thirty Two Thousand Three Hundred and Forty Four) records of waqf estates have been digitized. Under SWSVY, interest free loan is provided to Waqf Institutions/Waqf Boards for taking up economically  viable  projects  on  the  urban  waqf  land  such  as  commercial  complexes,  marriage  halls, hospitals, cold storages etc.

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