A Waqf Board is a governing body in countries with significant Muslim populations that oversees and manages waqf properties. Waqf is an Islamic endowment of property or assets for religious, charitable, or social purposes, typically aimed at benefiting the community
The Waqf boards in the Indian subcontinent were formed in 1913 during the British rule. Mussalman Waqf act 1923 was established 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. Waqf is a permanent dedication of movable or immovable properties for religious, pious or charitable purposes as recognized by Muslim Law, given by philanthropists. The grant is known as mushrut-ul-khidmat, while a person making such dedication is known as walqfi.
The Council
The Waqf boards were constituted in 1913, during the British rule. The first legislation to regulate waqfs was enacted in 1923. It was named as ‘The Mussalman Waqf Act 1923’.
The Central Waqf Council is a statutory body under the administrative control of the Ministry of Minority Affairs was set up in 1964 as per the provision given in the Waqf Act, 1954 as Advisory Body to the Central Government on matters concerning the working of the Waqf Boards and the due administration of Auqaf. This act was later repealed.
The existing Waqf Act was passed in 1995.
The properties or assets are donated by individuals or organizations and are managed to ensure they serve the intended purposes.
The Waqf Board’s primary responsibilities include:
Management and Administration
Overseeing the administration of waqf properties, ensuring they are used in accordance with the founder’s intentions.
Regulation and Compliance
Ensuring that waqf properties are maintained, and that all activities comply with relevant laws and regulations.
Dispute Resolution
Addressing any disputes that arise regarding waqf properties.
Financial Oversight
Monitoring and managing the financial aspects of waqf properties, including income and expenditures.
Development and Utilization
Promoting the effective use of waqf properties for the benefit of the community, which might include developing infrastructure, supporting educational institutions, and providing healthcare services.
Different countries have their own Waqf Boards or similar institutions, each with specific functions and structures. For example, in India, the Waqf Act of 1995 established state-level Waqf Boards to manage waqf properties, while in other countries, the structure and functions of Waqf Boards might differ.
State Waqf Boards
The State Waqf Boards are established by the State Governments. These work towards management, regulation and protect the Waqf properties by constituting District Waqf Committees, Mandal Waqf Committees and Committees for the individual Waqf Institutions. The Waqf Boards shall be body corporate having perpetual succession and a common seal with power to acquire and hold property. In the case that more than fifteen per cent of the total number of waqf property is Shia waqf, or the income thereof is more than fifteen per cent, the Act envisages a separate Shia Waqf Board.
Andhra Pradesh State Waqf Board
Assam Waqf Board
Bihar State Sunni Waqf Board
Bihar state shia Waqf Board
Chhattisgarh Waqf Board
Delhi Waqf Board
Gujarat Waqf Board
Haryana Waqf Board
Himachal Waqf Board
Jharkhand State Sunni Waqf Board
Karnataka Waqf Board
Kerala Waqf Board
Madhya Pradesh Waqf Board
Maharashtra State Board of Waqfs
Manipur Waqf Board
Meghalaya Waqf Board
Odisha Waqf Board
Punjab Waqf Board
Rajasthan Board of Muslim Waqfs
Tamilnadu Waqf Board
Tripura Waqf Board
Telangana state Waqf Board
Uttarakhand Waqf board
Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board
Shia Waqf Board
West Bengal Waqf Board
Andaman Nicobar Waqf Board
Chandigarh Waqf Board
Laxdweep Waqf Board
Dadra & Nagar Haveli Waqf Board
Puducherry Waqf Board
Presently there are thirty Waqf Boards across the country in twenty-eight states and Union territories. States such as Goa, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim and the Union Territory Daman and Diu have no Waqf Board at present. The Waqf Act 1995 is not applicable to Jammu and Kashmir.
Justice Shashvat Kumar, who headed the Shashvat Committee has prepared a status report on Muslims in India in 2011 and the finding of this report was that Nationwide, Waqf properties constitute a land bank worth Rs. 1.2 lakh crore and could have
generated annual returns of Rs. 12,000 crores but yielded only Rs. 163 crores and found that there was “a severe shortage of senior government officers who are Muslim to manage waqf affairs. A separate cadre would mean officers who are not only permanent but also qualified enough”.The Haryana Wakf Board (HWB) registered an all-time high income of Rs 17.03 crore during 2010–11, which is Rs 3.33 crore higher than the previous year. During 2010–11, the Board spent Rs 3.32 crore on various educational and welfare activities. The Board had earmarked Rs 6.47 crore in the budget for 2011–12 to meet the main objectives of waqfs and various educational and welfare activities, he said.
The central as well as state Waqf Boards have been involved in corruption, land encroachment, and misappropriation of funds. The Karnataka waqf Board Land Scam is one such case.