Legal cases challenging the Waqf Amendment Act are still pending in court. Despite this, the Uttar Pradesh government has taken over 58 acres of Waqf land in Kaushambi district and registered it as government property. The government’s action follows the discovery that, prior to being registered under the Waqf Board, the land—including madrasas and cemeteries—was listed under the name of the “Gram Samaj” (village community).
A total of 98.95 hectares of land in the district had been registered under the Waqf Board. Of this, approximately 58 acres have now been reclaimed and recorded as government land. Investigation teams have been deployed across three tehsil regions in the district for further inspection. Officials have stated that more Waqf land is likely to be reclaimed and re-registered as government property based on these investigations.
This move by the Uttar Pradesh government comes shortly after the central government passed the Waqf Amendment Act, which includes several new provisions aimed at improving the management of Waqf properties and granting more powers to district magistrates.
During a recent hearing, the Supreme Court hinted that interim orders could be issued on some of the controversial provisions of the Waqf Amendment Act. These include clauses that allow the government to de-notify land previously declared as Waqf by courts, and provisions that allow non-Muslims to be included in the Central Waqf Council and state boards.
