KOZHIKODE: The Kerala State Waqf Board will submit a memorandum before the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), saying that the Waqf Board (Amendment) Bill tabled in Parliament is unconstitutional. Briefing reportes after an urgent meeting the Board, chairman M K Sakkeer said the Union government has not consulted the Board before introducing the Bill.
Seeking withdrawal of the Bill, he said it will spell doom for the very idea of waqf itself. “There is no need to introduce a legislation now. All the amendments introduced earlier were meant to strengthen waqf boards,” he said.
According to the chairman, the Bill will end the democratic system of electing the members of the board and will pave the way for nomination system. The proposal to entrust district collectors with the task of taking decisions on waqf properties will complicate the procedures, he said.
There is a propaganda that Waqf Board is the largest owner of land after defence department and the Railways. “Waqf Board is not the owner of the properties. It is only the administrator. Waqf Board is branded as the owner of huge properties after calculating the value of all the properties spread across the country. Actually, they are all under the local managements,” Sakkeer added.
The chairman said people who believe in Islam should be the members of Waqf Board member P Ubaidulla said not even a single member from Kerala is accommodated in the JPC. “Kerala Waqf Board is considered to be the best in the country and yet the state is not given representation in the committee. Even parties which have single member is given representation,” he said.
Members M Sharafudeen, M C Mayin Haji, Rasiya Ibrahim, A Abdurrahim, Rehana V M and chief executive officer V S Zakir Hussain also attended the meeting.