Hannan Mollah asks for early Parliamentary report on Wakf Act

New Delhi June 23 (UNI) Senior CPI(M) leader Hannan Mollah today urged the UPA government to use its good offices to ensure that a Parliamentary Committee submit its report to pave the way for an amendment to the Wakf Act 1995.

The amendment to the act was necessitated in the wake of certain lacunea in the Act and several problems in the functioning of the Wakf Boards, Mr Hannan said in a letter to Minority Affairs minister A R Antulay.

The copy of the letter was also sent to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Ms Meira Kumar.

The Wakf Act has many weaknesses which are hindrances to the smooth functiong of the Wakf Board, and a A parliamentary Committee was set up to find ways and means to improve on the Act.

Mr Mollah, who is also the Chairman of the West Bengal Wakf Board, said the central Wakf Council should be made a "more democratic" body than a nominated one and that it should take an active role in helping the State Wakf Boards for the development of the Wakf Estates.

" More states should be represented in the Council and many more meetings of the council should be held," the letter said.

The provision of only three years' lease of Wakf land was not helping development activities as no one came forward for development with such short term lease, the letter added." This should also be examined," it said.

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