Waqf Properties in UP Under Scanner: Yogi Prepares for Decisive Steps

A day after the Waqf bill was passed in both the houses, now preparations are on for the audit of the Waqf Board. Minister of State in the Uttar Pradesh government, Danish Azad Ansari, has expressed the fear of embezzlement of more than Rs 1 thousand crore in the Waqf Board. He has said that an audit will be done soon regarding this. However, he has not said anything clearly about when the process will start.

Talking to media, Ansari said, 'The Waqf Amendment Act is an important step towards changing India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi . This is not the first amendment made by any government. Such amendments have been made in 1954, 1995 and 2013 as well. Muslims should not think that this is happening for the first time. Many people consider the Waqf Board to be a religious body. Whereas, it is an administrative body. The Waqf Board is formed in different districts by the state government, whose work is with the collector. There is nothing new in this either.'

The matter of audit
Talking to the newspaper, He added , "Our focus is to implement all the rules and most of them were available earlier as well. There was also a provision for audit, but it was not done. Now after the new amendment, audit has been made mandatory."

He said, 'The value of 1.25 lakh Waqf properties is estimated to be Rs 1.25 lakh crore, which should generate a revenue of Rs 1200 crore every year. However, till now the Waqf Board alone is generating a revenue of only Rs 150 crore every year. There is a difference of about Rs 1100 crore and where is this money going?'

Ansari said, 'If Rs 1100 crore was coming to the Waqf every year, then 800 schools or colleges would have been opened, which would have helped the poor Muslims. About 200 hospitals would have been opened, which would have helped the poor. Along with this, many skill centers could also have been opened. I suspect embezzlement of Rs 1100 crore every year through the Waqf Board.'

'Special vs. common Muslims'
He said, 'This is a battle between elite and common Muslims. Those who are opposing the bill have personal interests in it. They have nothing to do with the welfare of backward Muslims.'

Where are the maximum Waqf properties in UP
Barabanki - 4 thousand 927

Saharanpur - 4 thousand 851

Bijnor - 4 thousand 697

Balrampur - 4 thousand 248

Sitapur - 4 thousand 204

Jaunpur - 4 thousand 135

Bareilly - 3 thousand 944

Muzaffarnagar - 3 thousand 606

Bulandshahr - 3 thousand 313

Moradabad - 3 thousand 295

This is how the bill was passed in the House
On Thursday, the Rajya Sabha passed the Wakf Amendment Bill with 128 votes against 95. The government claimed that this bill will help a lot in improving the condition of the poor and Pasmanda Muslims and the women of this community.

Responding to the discussion on the bill that lasted for more than 13 hours, Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that in 2006, there were 4.9 lakh Waqf properties in the country and the total income from them was only Rs 163 crore, while even after making changes in 2013, the income increased by only Rs 3 crore. He said that today there are a total of 8.72 lakh Waqf properties in the country.