Govt to set up a Waqf Development Corporation

New Delhi, Jan 11 (UNI) Moves are afoot to create a Waqf Development Corporation for efficient management and development of Waqf properties worth crores of rupees lying across the country.

The Minority Affairs Ministry is working on the proposal which would go to the cabinet soon, a senior official in the Ministry told UNI.

The Central Waqf Council, a statutory body for advising the government on properties endowed by the Muslim community, which had originally mooted the idea for creation of a coprporation, has submitted some papers to the Ministry in this connection.

The official said Waqf has properties in prime urban and rural areas and their development can yield massive funds for the development of the community.

The Corporation will be set up under the Companies Act as a profit-making financial institution. It will lend money to mutawallis (managers) of Waqf properties through the state Waqf boards.

Putting in place a mechanism for effifcient use of Waqf properties for the welfare of the community was one of the strong recommendations of the Sachar Committee appointed by the Prime Minister to report on the social, economic and educational backwardness of Muslims.

The proposal had been placed before the committee by the Central Waqf Council.

The creation of the Corporation would need some initial government investment, but later on it will be quite self-sufficient as the Waqf properties bring it massive revenue.

Secretary Central Waqf Council M R Haque told UNI that they they were also toying with the idea of having public-private partnership in the development of Waqf properties.

He said that according to a rough estimate, there were over four lakh Waqf properties worth crores of rupees. However, a survey is going on at present and exact number of such properties will be known after that.

Waqf is a permanent dedication of movable or immovable properties for religious, pious or charitable purposes as recognised by Muslims Law.

The Waqf institutions deal with the religious, social and economic life of the community. They support not only mosques and dargahs, but also schools, hospitals and musafirkhanas (rest houses) etc.

Minority Affairs Minister A R Antulay had soon after taking charge of the already categorically said efficient management of Waqf properties will be one of the priorities of his ministry.

He had said Waqf had massive property at its command but due to inefficiency of the those at the helm of affairs, a substantial section of it had been encraoched upon or was under unauthorised use.

Muslims would need no outside help if all the waqf property was properly utilised, Mr Antulay had said.

UNI