National Wakf Dev Corporation to be constituted: Khurshid

Union Law and Minorities Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid on Wednesday said a National Wakf Development Corporation will be constituted to improve the financial condition and smooth running of Wakf Boards.

"In order to improve the financial condition of State Wakf Boards and for their proper functioning, National Wakf Development Corporation will be constituted in the country," Khurshid said while inaugurating the All India State Wakf Board conference.

"The corporation would be able to provide more funds as subsidy to state Wakf Boards," he said.

The problem of security and identifying Wakf properties across the country is a major challenge for all the states, he said.

The proposed Wakf Bill has incorporated lot of suggestions and it will be presented in the forthcoming session of the Parliament after making suitable amendments in it, Khurshid said.

Some states took lot of time in giving suggestions which resulted in delay in its tabling, he added.

The minister also praised the computerisation of Wakf properties in Madhya Pradesh and added that it would be completed at the national level also within a year.

He also said that like Madhya Pradesh, a website giving details of Wakf properties at the national level too will be launched and assured that the issue of salaries of Imams/Muazzins will be sorted out in an appropriate manner.

Earlier, addressing the conference, Madhya Pradesh Minorities Welfare Minister Ajay Vishnoi highlighted various steps like computerisation and distribution of scholarship.

MP Wakf Board Chairman Gufran-e-Azam raised the issue of security and encroachment of Wakf properties and demanded that in the new Act, a provision of punishment should be added against those who failed in implementing government orders related to Wakf properties.

Bihar's Minority Welfare Minister Shahid Iqbal and Chairmen and CEOs of various state Wakf Boards were present on the occasion.