Waqf board moves HC against centre’s decision

Subject : Polity

Section: Msc

Concept :

The Delhi Waqf Board has moved the High Court against the Centre’s decision to take over 123 Waqf properties, Board chairman Amanatullah Khan said.
Background :
The Land and Development Office (L&DO) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (HUA) recently decided to take over 123 properties of the Delhi Waqf Board, including mosques, dargah and graveyards, based on the report of a two-member committee.
Khan said the report of the committee was not shared with the Waqf Board, and added that a case challenging its formation was already pending in the Delhi High Court.

Waqf

Property given in the name of God for religious and charitable purposes.
In legal terms, permanent dedication by a person professing Islam, of any movable or immovable property for any purpose recognised by the Muslim law as pious, religious or charitable.

How is waqf created?

A waqf can be formed through a deed or instrument, or a property can be deemed waqf if it has been used for religious or charitable purposes for a long period of time.
The proceeds are typically used to finance educational institutions, graveyards, mosques and shelter homes.
A person creating the waqf cannot take back the property and the waqf would be a continuing entity.
The grant is known as mushrut-ul-khidmat, while a person making such dedication is known as Wakif.
A non-Muslim can also create a waqf but the individual must profess Islam and the objective of creating the waqf has to be Islamic.

Waqf Board

It is an Indian statutory body established in 1964 by the Government of India under the Waqf Act, 1954 (now a subsection of the Waqf Act, 1995) for the purpose of advising it on matters pertaining to the working of the State Waqf Boards and proper administration of the Waqfs in the country.
It is headed by a Chairperson, who is the Union Minister in charge of Wakfs and there are maximum 20 other members, appointed by Government of India as stipulated in the Waqf Act.