Waqf Amendment Bill Cleared By Joint Parliamentary Committee

New Delhi:A Joint Parliamentary Committee on Monday cleared the Waqf Amendment Bill - which seeks to make 44 changes to the way Muslim charitable properties are managed in the country - with 14 alterations to the draft tabled in the House in August last year. Overall 66 had been proposed - 23 by MPs from the ruling BJP and 44 from opposition members - to the committee led by BJP MP Jagadambika Pal.

However, changes proposed by the opposition were rejected after committee members voted on party lines; the JPC has 16 MPs from the BJP or allied parties and only 10 from the oppostion.

Voting to confirm acceptance of the 14 changes will



take place January 29, and the final report will be submitted by January 31, sources told. The committee had originally been asked to file the report by November 29 but that deadline was extended to February 13, the final day of the Budget Session.

"...44 amendments were discussed. In detailed discussions (spread) over six months, we sought amendments from all members. This was our final meeting... 14 were accepted by the committee on the basis of a majority (vote). Opposition also suggested amendments... each was put to a vote. There were 10 votes supporting theirs (suggested amendments) and 16 votes opposing it..." Mr Pal said.