On Thursday, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai was informed by lawyer Nizam Pasha, representing AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, that the six-month period allowed for registration under the amended law had largely lapsed. “Five months went during the judgment, we now only have one month left,” Pasha said, urging that the time for registration be extended.
Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, present in the courtroom for another matter, objected to the mentioning of the plea and suggested it be intimated to the Centre. The CJI responded, “Let it be listed, listing does not mean granting the relief.”
The Centre launched the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development (UMEED) portal on June 6 to create a digital inventory of all Waqf properties in India after geo-tagging them.
Under the UMEED portal guidelines, details of all registered Waqf properties are to be mandatorily uploaded within six months, a deadline that is now nearing completion. The plea seeks additional time to comply with this mandate, citing delays caused by judicial proceedings and administrative hurdles.
This case highlights the ongoing tension between digital modernization of Waqf management and the practical challenges of compliance, particularly for properties recognized under the “waqf by user” principle.
With PTI inputs
