Waqf Boards in Jammu & Kashmir

• 08 Dec 2020

Why in News

The process of establishing Waqf Boards in Jammu and Kashmir and leh-kargil has started recently.

Key Points

• There are thousands of Waqf properties in Jammu-Kashmir and Leh-Kargil and the process has been started to register these Waqf properties.
  
  • Digitisation, Geo Tagging/GPS Mapping of these Waqf properties has also been initiated.
• The Central Government will provide adequate financial assistance to construct infrastructure for socio-economic and educational activities on Waqf properties in Jammu-Kashmir and Leh-Kargil under “Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram” (PMJVK).
  
  • Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) seeks to provide better socio economic infrastructure facilities to the minority communities particularly in the field of education, health & skill development which would further lead to lessening of the gap between the national average and the minority communities with regard to backwardness parameters.
    
    • The erstwhile Multi-sectoral Development Programme (MsDP) has been restructured and renamed as Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram for effective implementation since 2018.

Central Waqf Council

• Central Waqf Council is a statutory body under the administrative control of the Ministry of Minority Affairs set up in 1964 as per the provision given in the Waqf Act, 1954.
• It is an advisory body to the Central Government on matters concerning the working of the Waqf Boards and the due administration of Auqaf.
  
  • Auqaf (also spelled awkaf,) is an Arabic word meaning assets.
  • The Council consists of Chairperson, who is the Union Minister In charge of Waqf, such other members, not exceeding 20 in number, as may be appointed by the Government of India.
• Each state has a Waqf Board headed by a chairperson, one or two nominees from the state government, Muslim legislators and parliamentarians, Muslim members of the state Bar Council, recognised scholars of Islamic theology and mutawalis.

Source:PIB