India
With the Union government setting a tight deadline for states to upload details of “undisputed” Waqf properties to its centralised UMID portal, the West Bengal Minority Affairs and Madrasah Education Department has directed all district magistrates to begin the process without delay. Officials familiar with the development said the move is being treated as a “time-bound compliance requirement” issued by the Centre.
The Centre has asked all states to upload property information by December 6, triggering an urgent administrative push from the Bengal government. According to a senior official, district authorities have been instructed to immediately initiate meetings with imams, muezzins, madrasa teachers, and local stakeholders to clarify the portal’s data-entry procedures and streamline the workflow.
“The communication sent to district magistrates outlines four major directives. The key among them is to ensure that only uncontested Waqf properties are uploaded to the UMID system,” the official said. Districts have also been told to establish facilitation centres wherever technical support may be required, ensuring that the process faces no bottlenecks.
The Centre amended several sections of the Waqf Act, 1995, earlier this year. While some of these changes are still being reviewed by the Supreme Court, the state administration emphasised that “there is no stay” on the implementation of the amendments. “This leaves the state with no choice but to comply with the Union government’s directive within the stipulated timeframe,” a senior official noted.
Under the revised rules, mutawallis overseeing 8,063 Waqf estates in West Bengal must complete the online registration of property details by December 6. However, several mutawallis across the state have complained of limited cooperation and support from the West Bengal Waqf Board following the amendments. Some have reported difficulties in accessing documents and clarifications needed for uploading the records.
An official acknowledged these concerns but said the state had to “initiate the process swiftly”, given the absence of any judicial stay on the amended provisions. With the deadline fast approaching, the state machinery has been instructed to prioritise the uploading task, ensuring compliance even as concerns continue to surface from stakeholders at the district level.
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