About 50 pc Waqf properties in Bengal registered in Centre’s portal: Govt official
Around 50 per cent of the Waqf estate has been registered in the Centre's portal by the West Bengal Waqf board, and the remaining will be done at the earliest, a government official said on Wednesday.
Kolkata: Around 50 per cent of the Waqf estate has been registered in the Centre’s portal by the West Bengal Waqf board, and the remaining will be done at the earliest, a government official said on Wednesday. Last week, the state government sent a directive to all District Magistrates, saying that by Friday, the details of all waqf properties in the state should be registered on the central ‘Umeed’ portal. The details have to be submitted by that time.
There are 82,600 Waqf properties under 8,063 Waqf estates in the state. Board chairman and former judge Sahidullah Munshi said, “Already 50 per cent of the estate details have been registered on the central portal. If the time is not up, we will stand by the ‘mutawalli’ (those responsible for maintaining the Waqf).” Although the official did not mention the alternative route, in private discussions, the board officials say that the Supreme Court has not extended the deadline. But it has made provisions for relaxation in one place.
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That is, if the registration is not done on time, an application for an extension of the deadline can be filed with the state Waqf Tribunal. A state minister associated with the work of the Waqf and the Muslim Personal Law Board said, “It is hoped that the deadline will be extended because the Supreme Court has raised that hope.” Board sources said that unless the central portal is closed, an application cannot be filed in the tribunal. That is why they will have to wait until December 5.
The Trinamool Congress had strongly opposed the Waqf Amendment Act 2025. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had assured minorities in her speeches that the Waqf Act would not be implemented in West Bengal. Although a bunch of cases related to Waqf are pending in the Supreme Court, it has not given any stay order on the registration of Waqf property details. Although it has given interim stay orders on several other sections, the court has legally relaxed this issue till now. Registration of Waqf properties details started on the central portal from June 6.
