Dehradun News: Poor Muslims will get their rights…,” said Waqf Board chairman Shadab Shams

Uttarakhand Waqf Board backs Centre’s reform bill to reclaim 5,388 Muslim charitable properties, curb encroachments in key districts like Haridwar-Dehradun (65% assets), and boost transparency.

Dehradun, Uttarakhand: Uttarakhand Waqf Board Chairman Shadab Shams has endorsed the Centre's Waqf Amendment Bill, calling it a "game-changer for impoverished Muslims." The reforms aim to streamline management of 5,388 registered waqf properties across the state - including mosques, madrasas, and agricultural lands - with Haridwar (1,930) and Dehradun (1,721) holding maximum assets.

The Waqf Amendment Bill introduces three key reforms: an anti-encroachment drive to reclaim illegally occupied properties, a transparency mandate requiring digital audits of all charitable assets, and a welfare focus to redirect revenues toward education and community services for Muslim beneficiaries.

Shams revealed to Dynamite News that "crores worth of properties are currently under private occupation" - a situation the bill seeks to rectify through stricter penalties. The move comes as Uttarakhand reports rising cases of disputed dargahs and graveyards, particularly in Almora and Nainital districts.

Uttarakhand's Waqf Board oversees 5,388 registered properties statewide, with 65% concentrated in the Haridwar-Dehradun belt, while 22 disputed sites remain under litigation.

The Chairman emphasized that the 1995 Act revisions will "ensure donations meant for Muslim welfare actually reach beneficiaries," citing mismanagement of 47 madrasas and 12 cemeteries as urgent priorities.