The amended Waqf Act, passed by Parliament recently, came into force from 1 November, making encroachment on Waqf property a cognisable and non-bailable offence. The encroachment on Waqf properties is a rampant phenomenon across the country. The Sachar Committee report suggests that the annual income from Waqf properties should be around Rs. 6,000 crore. However, the board earns only 163 crores per annum.
The amended Act has a vast definition of encroachment and now it includes all, be a person or an institution, public or private, occupying Waqf property, in whole or part and includes a person whose tenancy, lease or licence has expired or has been terminated by the Mutawalli (trustee) or the Board.