More Than 31,000 Waqf Properties Removed from Umeed Portal in Uttar Pradesh
Several graveyards, dargahs, and mosque properties in Uttar Pradesh may also be excluded from the Waqf category. Due to data discrepancies, document errors, and technical issues, the registration of 31,328 properties has been canceled out of the 1,18,302 properties uploaded so far on the ‘Umeed’ portal.
The Union Ministry of Minority Affairs decided on June 5 last year that all Waqf properties must be registered on the Umeed portal. Initially, a six-month deadline was given. However, the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board and the Shia Central Waqf Board appealed to the UP Waqf Tribunal seeking an extension for property registration on the portal.
The tribunal granted an additional six months, and the extended deadline will end on June 5. Out of the 1,18,302 properties registered on the portal so far, only 53,711 properties have received approval. Verification of documents for 20,546 properties is currently in the final stage.
Land Record Mismatches Found in Several Properties
Notably, Waqf claims for 31,192 properties have been rejected. In many cases, the Khasra numbers did not match the records maintained by the Waqf Board. Some properties showed larger land areas, while others had altered measurements in revenue records.
In some instances, the same graveyard or dargah land was found registered under two separate Waqf entities. Such discrepancies have been reported extensively in districts like Muzaffarnagar, Barabanki, and Jaunpur.
With less than two weeks remaining before the deadline, matching and correcting property records between the Revenue Department and Waqf Boards has become a major challenge.
Legal and Technical Challenges Remain
Waqf law expert advocate Aftab Ahmad stated that the Act allows only a six-month extension. He also mentioned that certain provisions of the Unified Waqf Management Empowerment Efficiency and Development Act, 1995 are currently under stay by an order of the Supreme Court.
Technically, the UP Waqf Tribunal has already granted the maximum extension allowed under the law. Individual mutawallis (caretakers) may still approach the tribunal separately, but each case would require an independent appeal process, making it legally difficult and time-consuming.
Officials of the Waqf Board stated that mutawallis have time until June 5 to re-upload properties with accurate documents. If the discrepancies are not corrected by the deadline, these properties may permanently remain outside the portal records.